Falling Slowly
by Sparkle-PagerStealer
Summary: Title changed. Will, Emma, plus baby make three. Emma's pregnant...Future chapters: McKinley High has a new student transfer…the Glee Club's newest member. Has the Glee Club met its match? *ON HIATUS*
1. Chapter 1

This fic is canon, to an extent. I went back and changed a few things from the actual show to set up my story:

* * *

Quinn Fabray called the Schuester residence the Tuesday before sectionals. Under pretense of packing up her crafting supplies for the 'nursery', Terri was in the second bedroom at her crafting table when the phone rang, and rose to answer, absently adjusting her pregnancy pad as she did so:

"Schuester residence."

"…Mrs. Schuester?" there was a pause as the question hung for a moment over the line before the voice continued hesitantly, "…It's Quinn. Quinn Fabray."

"Oh, Quinn!" Terri's voice brightened considerably and although her husband was working late overseeing Tuesday detention, she glanced habitually over her shoulder before lowering her voice conspiratorially. "How's everything going?" she asked quickly, "With the baby? You're not calling to ask for money again? Because you're thin dear, you can make it work-"

"…This isn't about maternity clothes, Mrs. Schuester," Quinn's voice was soft on the line, and hesitant. This made Terri pause. There was a brief silence.

"What about a new ultrasound DVD?" she demanded bossily, "I'm due for another appointment soon and my husband will be wanting to see his daughter-"

Quinn was quiet on her end.

"Mrs. Schuester…" she started finally, "…I called because I need to tell you something…"

Terri's brow furrowed into a tense frown and she sat down in her crafting chair and waited, placing a distracted hand on her belly.

"What is it?" she question finally, when Quinn didn't speak.

"I…" Quinn hesitated, and although Mr. Schuester's wife could not see this over the phone, her eyes were bright as she continued, "I…I'm keeping my baby, Mrs. Schuester. I want to keep her."

* * *

Terry Schuester called her sister Kendra in near hysterics.

"It's over, Kendra!" Her usually high voice was so shrill, Kendra had to move to another room to hear her above the yells of her children. She smacked her gum, frowning.

"What's over?" she demanded, not following.

"The baby!" Terri practically shrieked, "Will! My marriage! Kendra, Quinn Fabray is keeping her baby!"

"What?" Kendra locked the handle of her bedroom door to keep her screaming children on the other side. They pounded against it and she turned her back, her mind whirring into fix-it mode. "Terri, what happened? I thought the babysitting-"

"It did!" Terri cut her sister off, "It did work. Or, it didn't, not really, but then it did! But now she's saying she's keeping it, and she won't change her mind! Kendra, it's over!" Terri moaned dramatically. Will, he'll hate me!'

"Calm down!" Kendra snapped, pushing her gum to the other side of her mouth and smacking even harder, "This was all getting too complicated, anyways-"

"What am I supposed to do now?" Terri beseeched shrilly, "Kendra, I have to tell him!"

"No!" Kendra objected fiercely, "No, Terri, you can't do that. He'll leave you and your marriage will be over-"

Terri gave a distressed moan and Kendra continued quickly, speaking over her:

"You faked a pregnancy, _right_?"

Terri nodded, an action Kendra could not see over the phone. She continued none the less:

"Well then," she decided, her mind already jumping head with possibilities, "You can fake a miscarriage."

* * *

"…I don't want to hurt him," Terri spoke in a small voice. "Oh…" she moaned dramatically, "I can't do this! I can't!"

"Shut-it Terri!" Kendra demanded bossily, 'It's too late for that! Don't you think he would have figured it out when you wouldn't let him touch you for nine months? If he never got to feel the baby kick? This was all getting too complicated, a miscarriage fixes everything!"

"But Kendra-"

"Don't you see?" Kendra objected forcefully, excited at the new leg of their plan, "This buys you time, Terri! You miscarry Will's daughter and he'll be forced to care about you! You'll be going through something together! And then, after a few months, you get pregnant for real- no unreliable teenagers. No Quinn Fabray. Will never has to know-"

"How?" Terri interrupted, hesitant. "I don't want to hurt him. Will wants this baby-"

"What baby?" Kendra demanded, annoyed. "You don't have a baby, you hysterical dummy! You fake a miscarriage. You tell Will how much you wanted to have a family with him…you slowly overcome this _together_-"

"I don't want to hurt him," Terri said, for a third time, looking down to trail her hand over her fake-pregnant stomach.

"It's too late for that, Terri," Kendra spoke truthfully.

Terri looked up at the clock on the wall. Will would be home soon. She mentally ran through her options a final time. Kendra was right…She turned back to the conversation with a determined look.

"When?" she demanded softly.

…It was all getting too complicated, anyways.


	2. Chapter 2

"And one, and two, from the top!"

'_Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world_

_Took the midnight train going anywhere_

_Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit_

_Took the midnight train going any-'_

Rachel Berry stumbled and her black Mary Jane squeaked noisily on the floor, effectively cutting her off. A few of her fellow club members snickered. Finn Hudson continued:

'_I see her in a smokey room, a smell of wine and cheap-'_

"Finn!" Rachel objected shrilly, "Finn! We have to stop-"

Will Schuester rubbed a weary hand down his face and stepped forward to quickly intercede before his Glee kids could begin their fifth argument of the afternoon.

"Guys! Guys! If something like this were to happen on stage, you won't get a redo," he objected knowingly. "Rachel, you came in a little high on that first verse, let's try and even it out-"

"But Mr. Schue-" Rachel began to complain, among the grumbled protests of her peers, "We've been through this a hundred times!"

"Hey, come on, guys," Will turned to the rest of the sullen group in an attempt to build morale, "Sectionals are on Saturday! This is our last practice before dress rehearsal…I know everyone is nervous for this weekend-"

"Nervous?" Mercedes proclaimed loudly, with an exaggerated snap of her fingers, "I'm gonna _kill_ sectionals-"

"Get it girl!" Kurt added encouragingly, pursing his lips and turning to raise his eyebrows at Will, "We've got this, Mr. Schue-"

"Yeah!"

"Hell yes!"

"Right, right!"

"I wanna believe it guys, I really do," Will encouraged good-naturedly, "I really think you have a chance to take Sectionals! But we've got to _practice_ and, most importantly, _maintain_…I'd hate to see you lose this because you stopped thinking you needed to work on our set list two days before the competition! Now come on Rachel, Finn, let's start it from the top:"

'_Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world She took the midnight train going anywhere _

_Just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit He took the midnight train going anywher_e…

_…some will win, some will lose_

_Some were born to sing the blues_

_Oh the movie never ends_

_It goes on and on and on and on…….'_

* * *

"Hi, Honey-" Will called as he entered his apartment later that afternoon, setting his briefcase beside the door and reaching a hand up to loosen his tie. "...Terri…You home?"

"In here." Terri's voice carried from the down the hall and Will followed the sound, checking their bedroom before continuing on to the second, smaller bedroom.

"Hey, Hon," Will called back, nearing the room, "Clearing some stuff out for the nursery?" he stopped as he rounded the corner and frowned, confused. "Hey…" he tried timidly, cocking his head slightly as if trying to comprehend, "What, ah, what are you doing Ter?"

Terri looked up from her crafting table and gave a shrug.

"Just crafting," she explained casually, eyeing him carefully. "…How was your day?"

"It was, ah," Will hesitated, and then raised his eyebrows, "long. What um," he frowned, glancing briefly around the room, "What's going on in here? I thought the crafting stuff was being packed away so we could start working on the nursery-"

"It was." Terri interrupted shortly, raising one brow as she glanced at Will. "I pulled it back out. It helps me relax, Will."

Will twisted his lips and surveyed the room.

"Okay…" he conceded skeptically. "Is there anything for dinner?"

"Oh," Terri glanced Will's way, picking up her glue gun, "I thought you could make dinner tonight. I've been on my feet _all _day at Sheets 'N Things- I could really use the rest-"

Will sucked in a deep breath, feeling more than a little shut out.

"Okay," he tried again optimistically, rubbing his hands together and pushing his sleeves back to the elbow, "Any requests?"

Terri shrugged.

"Turkey burgers. Oh," she pointed towards him with her glue gun, "and maybe some pasta? Mm, pasta sounds good…" she smiled sweetly at him and placed a hand on her rounded belly, as if daring him to contradict.

Will raised his brow.

"Turkey burgers and fettuccini it is," he recited, his face hard. A trickle of annoyance leaked through in his tone and he quickly squelched it. "And hey," he stepped forward, his face softening as he gave his wife a peck on the cheek, "This will all be worth it once She's here…" Will gazed lovingly at Terri's belly, before turning and leaving the room.

* * *

Today was Friday. The Friday before Sectionals. Will was on his way to the auditorium after last bell to set up for his Glee kid's dress rehearsal. He navigated around the students crowding the hallway, mentally running through the set list and choreography for the Sectionals routine for what felt like the thousandth time this week. He passed the hallway with the long row of lockers, catching a brief glimpse of Sue Sylvester lecturing one of the Cheerio's on her squad, and nearly collided with Emma as he turned the corner.

"Will-" Emma stopped short, looking uncomfortable, her brown eyes wide and staring

"Emma, hi," Will spoke breathlessly, and grinned. There was an awkward pause.

"…Hi." Emma returned finally, her voice soft. "I'm s-sorry, I wasn't w-watching where I was g-going-"

"Don't be," Will reassured honestly, with a nervous laugh, "It was me. I wasn't paying attention."

Emma stared, her gazed fixed on Will's, and nodded slowly.

Will broke the silence, finally.

"I feel like I've barely seen you this week-"

Emma clenched the textbooks in her arms closer to her chest and looked down, painfully recalling their discussion from a week ago as she had every day since Will had opened up to her in her office about the wedding/Sectionals conflict:

'_I wanted to talk to you about that,' Will breeched the subject honestly and carefully, 'I kind of think Ken scheduled your wedding the same day on purpose. You know, so…so you couldn't go.'_

'_Why would he do that?'_

'_Come on,' Will huffed, 'We…we both know how he feels about our…relationship.'_

'_I'm marrying Ken, Will. Look I know that I've…I've definitely given him reason in the past to be jealous, but I need you to know that I'm done with that now. Ken has…a lot of flaws, he has seventy-four flaws as of yesterday but, you know what? He's not vindictive. He's actually a good man; he is kind and he is great with the students here at McKinley, we have that in common. And yes it's true his hygiene could be a lot better but he is absolutely full of compassion and…well that is why I'm marrying him!'_

'_You're right,' Will agreed dejectedly, 'I was out of line…Won't happen again.'_

"…Busy week," she said finally, by way of explanation. "You've got Sectionals. …I'm getting married tomorrow-"

"I know…" Will's solemn voice cut across her pathetic excuses for what they both knew was really going on. They had been avoiding one another. Emma inhaled sharply and looked up, straightening herself so that she was almost at Will's level:

"I'm sorry I have to miss tomorrow. Tell the kids good luck for me."

Will's eyes met Emma's and held them in his gaze.

"Emma…" she spoke finally, his voice sadly earnest, "…I'm really sorry I won't get to be there."

Emma struggled to catch her breath.

"I-I know," she spoke finally.

The pair remained perfectly still, off to the side in the bustle of the hallway, as each of their predicaments settled in. Neither voiced what was so painstakingly going unspoken.

"W-Well, good luck," Emma spoke finally, after a silence that seemed to go on forever. Will's gaze seemed to pierce right through her.

"…You too, Emma," Will responded finally, his stare continuing unabashed. "…And tell Ken 'congratulations'."

"I will-" Emma nodded timidly, struggling to catch her breath. She couldn't look away.

"Goodbye, Emma." Will tried to offer his farewell warmly, but to his own ears his words merely sounded bitter and jealous. _I'm married…_he reminded himself, _I have a wife…_

"Bye, Will."

Will Schuester turned to watch as Emma walked away and disappeared down the hallway. He stood still for a moment, gazing blankly toward the hallway she had turned down as the last of the dwindling students made their way home for the day. The sound of a piano drifted past him from the auditorium. Will took a moment to pull himself together.

Sectionals. Dress rehearsal. Glee.

He rounded the corner and pushed open the door to the auditorium to find his Glee students waiting for him. He took a deep breath.

"And one, two, from the top!"


	3. Chapter 3

Terri miscarried the day of Sectionals.

The day started out like any other, with the exception of the nervous energy that seemed to propel Will through his standard morning routine. He dressed as if it was a school day, struggling briefly, undecided, to choose between two ties, before finally settling on a red one to match his Glee kid's performance outfits.

"Morning, Babe," he greeted cheerfully as he entered the kitchen, bending to give Terri a kiss on the forehead as he straightened his tie. He gave her shoulder an excited squeeze, "Today's the day!"

Terri attempted a smile.

"Great," she said nervously, biting back a sarcastic remark. Yet another day devoted to _Glee._

"Hey, you okay?" Will asked with a slight frown, turning to pull a cereal bowl from the cupboard.

"I'm fine-" Terri answered quickly, straightening up in her chair, "Just a little tired." She shrugged.

"You working today?" Will pondered, walking to the table and sitting down across from her.

"…Not today," Terri answered carefully, finding it hard to meet Will's gaze.

"Well, take it easy today, okay?" Will requested concernedly, shoving another bite of cereal in his mouth and reaching across the table to lay a supportive hand over her own.

Terri fidgeted nervously and nodded.

"Sure."

"Okay?" Will verified.

"Okay, Will," Terri agreed with a sad smile that he, luckily, did not notice as he propelled himself from his seat and went to deposit his bowl in the sink.

"Okay," Will took a deep breath, spinning back to face the kitchen and Terri, "Wish us luck!"

"Good luck-" Terri answered quickly, casting a glance down at her rounded stomach.

"Thanks, Ter," Will smiled and crossed the kitchen, clearing the distance between them to take her hands. "I really appreciate it." His gaze traveled from her stunned, guilty one down to her pregnant stomach, and he hesitated, unsure.

"W-Will, you don't want to be late!" Terri insisted quickly, taking his hands in her own and moving them away, far away from her fake-pregnant belly.

Will took a deep breath and smiled.

"You're right," he agreed, squeezing her shoulders excitedly. "Have a good day, Babe," he leaned in and kissed her, then turned to grab his blazer from the hook beside the door. "And remember to take it easy!"

Terri nodded, and with a final loving gaze at her belly and their daughter within, Will slipped out the front door, pulling it closed behind him.

* * *

The bus ride to the Sectionals venue was a loud one. The kids were filled with the same nervous energy as Will, all of them joking and laughing, sharing sheet notes and halving pop tarts with one another. Will smiled and glanced down at his cell phone, turning it over and over in his hand. To Finn, who put a hand on his shoulder and said spoke reassuringly to Mr. Schue, he merely looked full of nerves, just like the rest of them. But it wasn't that. Not quite.

Will turned to gaze out the window as the Ohio landscape passed by.

…Emma was getting married today.

Will sighed, his head spinning with too many complicated thoughts, and forbade the onset of emotion that seemed to flood though him as he thought of his friend. He was having a baby with Terri. Emma was with Ken and he, Will, was getting the family he had always wanted.

…He had always wanted this.

After a long bus ride, they filed excitedly into the venue and found out almost immediately that they would be performing third.

"No!" Santana and Brittany objected, almost immediately. "We can't go last!"

"Last is last, Mr. Schue," Brittany provided unhelpfully.

"We have to go first!" Santana complained dramatically, "Nobody remembers anything after first-"

"That's in _cheerleading_, Santana," Quinn filled in, skeptically, for the rest of the group.

"First often eliminates the competition," Rachel supplied knowingly, an obsessive gleam in her eye, "but third leaves the _biggest _impression!" She clasped her hands together and gazed into the distance, envisioning the lights of Broadway. There was silence for a moment as everyone stared at her.

"Err, Rachel's right, you guys," Will stepped forward, casting a concerned glance in Rachel's direction.

"We've _got this_, you guys," Mercedes encouraged, following Mr. Schue's lead, "Now come on, let's go check out the _non_-competition-"

"Yeah!"

"Come on!"

"Let's go!"

Will smiled as his kids charged off and followed slowly, putting away his cell phone, along with any thoughts that didn't have to do with his Glee kids. This was their day.

* * *

There was silence in the warm up room. Will leaned against a folded up set of choir bleachers, his arms crossed.

"We're better than them," Rachel stepped forward desperately, trying to build moral, "We can hit the notes better, we've got better choreography-"

"They're singing 'Rolling on the River' in _wheelchairs_" Kurt practically shrieked. Worried glances were cast in Artie's direction, who had been ramming his chair into the wall for ten minutes.

"What are we going to do, Mr. Schue?" Puck demanded, kicking the wall, "This is a disaster!"

Finn glanced at Rachel, then at Quinn, and stepped forward.

"Maybe not," he spoke sincerely, "We've got other songs. We've got 'You Can't Always Get What You Want'-"

"It's barely rehearsed-" Quinn objected skeptically.

Rachel stepped forward again, edging her way out from behind Brittany and Mike.

"…'Don't Rain On My Parade,'" she spoke in a sort of ethereal whisper.

"_Excuse _me?" Mercedes demanded.

"I didn't stutter!" Rachel insisted excitedly, rushing forward now. "It's been in my repertoire for nearly thirteen years now-"

"Mr. _Schue_-" Santana objected dismally, clearly distressed. "No, she's right," Finn cut across, stepping out to join her now, "We're best when we're loose. They've already sang Mercedes' ballad-"

"If anyone's going to sing one on the fly, it's Rachel," Mercedes admitted fairly, catching on and stepping away from the group to stand beside Finn. Will looked up, running through the idea, as one by one the nine remaining students sat up or stepped forward to join the others. Artie was last, rolling silently into the space between Tina and Kurt.

Will rubbed his hands together.

"…You ready to give this a try?" he questioned, his enthusiasm for the new plan building quickly.

"Mr. _Schue_," Mercedes looked around, motioning for the support of her fellow Glee peers, "I thought I told you…we're ready to _win _this-"

"Yeah!" Everyone cheered, almost completely in unison.

Will grinned.

"Alright," he said, clapping his hands together, "We got a little over and hour until show time…let's do this!"

* * *

If the bus ride _to _Sectionals was loud, the ride back was deafening. The Glee members had taken up a sort of tribal-like chant:

"We won, won, won, WON!"

Will was all smiles, recalling their performance and basking in it: Rachel's opening number 'Don't Rain On My Parade' was unprecedented; her vocals stunning. Her powerhouse finale note had _literally _given him chills. Their last-minute song choice by the Rolling Stones, paired with loose choreography that brought the audience to its feet, was almost on level with 'Don't Stop Believing', which they had been practicing for _weeks. _

Will watched as his kids passed around their giant trophy, it was nearly as big as the one the Cheerio's had won at Nationals last year! The trophy was merely a consolation prize, though, to how it felt to have taken the kids to Sectionals and _succeeded. _No matter what, Will was proud of them, but they were going to _Regionals _now. They had made it. They were playing in the big games.

Now that the competition was over, Will gave in and let himself think of the other big event of the day…Emma's wedding. He gave a sad smile and high-fived Matt as he moon-walked down the aisle Michael Jackson style, thinking of how supportive Emma had always been of Glee, since the beginning:

_Emma __edged down the row of bleachers and took her seat for the Glee Club's first unofficial performance. _

'_Yay, Glee!' she raised her arms, pumping a tiny, delicate fist into the air, 'Glee kids hooray!'_

Will smiled at the memory. He knew that she was honestly disappointed that she had to miss out on today. Emma had always been one of their biggest fans.

"Um, excuse me," Mercedes stood, pulling Will from his thoughts. "Excuse me! I have something I would like to say-"

The bus quieted for the first time since they had boarded it.

"Well, out with it already," Quinn encouraged with a grin at her fellow Glee-Clubbers.

"I would just like to say," Mercedes paused dramatically, "that:"

'…_I've paid my dues, time after time, _

_I've done my sentence, but committed no crime'_

The Glee students exchanged looks, catching on quickly. Finn got up on his knees, leaning over the back of his seat:

'_And bad mistakes, I've made a few _

_I've had my share of sand kicked in my face - __But I've come through!'_

Rachel grinned widely, and this time, all of them joined in, looking towards their Glee instructor.

'_We are the champions - my friends _

_And we'll keep on fighting - _

_till the end - _

_We are the champions - _

_We are the champions _

_No time for losers _

_'Cause we are the champions - of the world!'_

Will felt his face crack into a proud smile as his kids put on their impromptu performance. He joined in:

'_I've taken my bows And my curtain calls - _

_You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it - _

_I thank you all -'_

Mercedes stood up to finish the verse, her voice powerful as ever:

'_But it's been no bed of roses _

_No pleasure cruise - I consider it a challenge before the whole human race - _

_And I ain't gonna lose!'_

Will trailed off as he felt his phone vibrate and pulled it from his pocket, checking the caller ID with unrealistic optimism…He frowned when he saw who was calling, pressing the phone to his ear.

"Kendra? Hello?" he shouted, over the din of the crowded bus reverberating with the vocals of Queen, "Is everything okay?"

"Will, I have bad news," Kendra spoke crassly into the phone, without pause, "It's Terri. She had a miscarriage."

Will felt every happy moment from the day fall away immediately, the color draining from his face.

"W-What?"

'…_We are the champions - my friends _

_And we'll keep on fighting - _

_till the end -_

_We are the champions - _

_We are the champions _

_No time for losers_

_'Cause we are the champions -_

… _of the world…'_


	4. Chapter 4

Kendra was at the door before Will had a chance to open it himself, and he pushed past her, rushing down the hallway.

"Will-" Kendra closed the door and hurried after him.

"I don't understand how this happened," Will exclaimed, cutting her off, "Is she okay? Shouldn't we be at the hospital?"

"The doctor said this was the best thing for her," Kendra explained, just as she had rehearsed, "There's nothing more they can do, Will-"

Will's face crumpled and he sucked in a breath, attempting composure. He couldn't fall apart in front of Terri. He paused, nodding sadly at Terri's sister before carefully turning the handle of their bedroom door.

"…Ter?" he spoke softly, trying to keep the pain and anguish from his voice. He _had_ to be supportive. "Terri?"

His wife lay on her side on the bed. Her back was to him, the room dark.

"Terri," Will moved around the foot of the bed to her side and squatted down beside her.

"Will," Terri spoke softly, "Hi."

"Hi-" Will felt himself begin to fall apart and he cleared his throat.

"Terri…"

"I miscarried, Will," Terri kept her voice carefully monotone, "The doctor said it was caused by _stress_-"

"I'm so sorry, Ter,"

"This was supposed to be our family, Will," Terri pleaded, her tone almost accusing, "And now our baby-"

Will felt his throat grow tight and he cut her off:

"Don't, Ter. Please-" his voice wavered on his last word and the first of many tears slipped down his cheek. "I'm here for you," he assured desperately, "We'll get through this…_together_. I'm here for you," he said again.

"You weren't here," Terri fixed her eyes on him, her voice short.

"I know. I'm-I'm _so _sorry, Baby-"

"It doesn't matter now," Terri spoke simply, pulling into herself, away from Will's touch. "Finally, a baby," she spoke quietly, her voice muffled. "…Now we'll never be a family…"

Will squeezed his eyes shut, choking back the sob that rose in his throat. It was…unimaginable. He had never even felt his daughter kick, never got to marvel in the change of Terri's body as his baby grew within her…

And now he never would.

* * *

Will stayed home with Terri for four days. Kendra came by the apartment several times, bossing him around and holding private, whispered conversations with her sister… Will assumed Kendra was helping her get through this in ways that he couldn't, and tolerated her, if only for her help. Terri was sore, and very tired; she barely moved for the first two days, and Will was filled with grief. Kendra told Will that Terri was still in the process of losing the baby, but, luckily, she was not far enough into the pregnancy to need surgery. Will felt helpless. He laid with her. He held her, when she let him. He made sure she had water, he pulled the covers around her when she was cold, he cooked.

…By Thursday, he was back at school. It had been six days since Sectionals. Six days since he had seen or even thought of his Glee kids. Still, he called off their usual Thursday after-school practice so that he could get home and back to Terri sooner. Luckily they were fresh off a competition, which meant they had an adequate amount of time before they really needed to nail down a new set list and start practicing choreography.

Will switched between a hazy, disbelieving mindset and constant worry over…everything. What did this mean for his marriage with Terri? He knew it was only a matter of time before the medical bills arrived in the mail, also. Babies were expensive, even -Will's chest tightened at the thought- _non_-babies. He and Terri were barely communicating. He hated to leave her, but he only had a certain amount of accumulated sick days, and with Terry on leave from Sheets N' Things, things were tight.

By Thursday, Terri was out of bed, and Kendra would be coming over at noon. This placated Will slightly, relieving some of his guilt at leaving her for the day.

Getting back into the routine at school was tough. The halls were crowded and noisy, completely at odds with the somber silence of his apartment as of late. Will barely made it before first period bell, taking longer to leave than usual, his concern for his wife's well-being prominent. Still, as it was, he missed his usual pre first-period interaction with Emma, something he hadn't missed in well…ever, now that he thought of it...

_Emma…_Will's thoughts became muddled and confused at the thought. It didn't come as easily now, his thoughts of Emma, now that he hadn't seen her in nearly a week. Maybe it was because she was married now.

_Married_…Will pushed the thought from his mind.

* * *

Lunch seemed to arrive way too early, and Will spent an extra amount of time grading papers at his desk after third period, reluctant to go to the teacher's lounge and see…people.

_Emma._

Will refused to allow himself to think the name. Instead, he concentrated on congregating a list of Spanish verbs for his next lesson plan and then slowly packed up his briefcase, pulling out his brown-bag lunch and heading for the lounge.

His usual table was empty. He struggled not to think of it as _their _table…Will looked around, hovering in the doorway, before making an impulsive decision and spinning around on his heel and heading off down the hallway, oblivious to the lingering stares of his fellow teachers and unsure of where he was going.

He found himself, almost automatically, outside of Emma's office.

She was there, in her chair, flipping carefully through a magazine, a crust-free PB&J sandwich held delicately in one hand. Will leaned against the door frame for a moment, unsure of what was coming. Finally, he knocked softly and Emma's head snapped up, startled. Her gaze settled on Will and her huge brown eyes widened sympathetically.

"Will," she stood up quickly, hovering behind her desk, and motioned for him to sit. "Come in."

Will hesitated, then sat down carefully, watching as Emma did the same. He smiled.

"I'm so sorry, Will…" Emma spoke, her voice soft. Will looked down at his lap and clenched his lunch bag between his hands.

"Thanks, Em," he cleared his throat. "…I uh, I didn't see you in the lounge…"

Emma sighed, adjusting her skirt, her eyes not quite meeting Will's own.

"Yeah, um, yeah…" she conceded, as if it were a long story, "I've been avoiding, um, Ken-" she explained carefully.

Will's head snapped up, his glance automatically traveling to her ring finger

"Emma, why-"

"I couldn't do it Will!" she burst dismally, completely embarassed by how crazy she knew she must look as Will gazed at her in disbelief, "He a-asked me if he had my heart," she smiled sadly. The clock on the wall seemed too loud in the sudden, absolute silence of her office. Will openly stared, and finally, Emma spoke:

"He didn't."

"Oh," Will spoke quietly.

"Yeah."

"Emma-"

"I just, c-couldn't do that to him," Emma choked back a sob, placing the remaining half of her sandwich back into its plastic container. "And then I heard about what happened with you and oh W-Will, it's just so heartbreaking-"

"Emma-"

"You w-won sectionals, and I was _so _happy for you. I know how hard those kids have worked…"

"Emma, wait," Will cut across questioningly, unsure of what he was hearing, "You…You didn't get married?"

Emma shook her head.

"I've…I've b-been eating in my office. I didn't want to hurt Ken anymore than I already have," she explained sadly, her caring heart so very obviously on her sleeve.

"Emma," Will spoke in disbelief, an irrational feeling of relief flooding through him, "that's-"

"-pathetic?" Emma finished, for him, "It is. It's p-pathetic Will!"

Will coughed into his hand, concealing a smile.

"Just say it!" Emma insisted, "It is!"

"Well, maybe a little," Will admitted carefully, and Emma's gaze snapped up to meet Will's own unsure glance.

"Maybe," she pondered carefully, "...Maybe we could, um...avoid together?" She graciously left the reason for Will's unadmitted avoidance unvoiced, an act for which he was incredibly grateful.

This time Will smiled for real, unfolding his brown paper bag and scooting forward to share the deskspace between them.

"...I'd like that."

It was the first time he had smiled since the bus ride at Sectionals.

...It felt good.


	5. Chapter 5

Friday night, Terri made dinner for Will. Laying around the house was boring. Crafting was…not the same (too much time to think). And, if she missed too many days at Sheets 'N Things, she would lose out on her running for promotion to Holiday manager. Terri was growing restless.

It was time to start moving past this.

Will had been…quiet, yesterday, when he came home from his first day back at the school. The part of Terri that wasn't completely overcome with selfish guilt felt for Will. He was taking things so hard, as much as he tried to hide it and be strong for her. She spent all day doing nothing, which left her too much time to her thoughts, so she allocated the afternoon to grocery shopping, planning on having dinner ready for Will when he got home from his second day back at McKinley since she had ended one lie with another, and faked her own miscarriage.

The handle on the front door turned quietly and Will stepped across the threshold of their apartment, his head down. He was tired, his heart heavy and his emotions drained. He didn't expect to see Terri in the kitchen as he went to hang up his coat, and he definitely didn't expect to smell dinner.

"Hi Hon," Terri looked up from the contents of the pot she was stirring with a smile. "Long day?"

"Ter…" Will looked slightly taken aback, walking over to give her a peck on the cheek, "Hi, yes," he answered her question, "…Should you be up like this?" He squeezed her shoulders and peered through the oven door.

"I wanted to make you dinner," Terri explained lightly, glancing towards him and noticing, for the first time, the dark circles under his eyes. Her stomach gave a guilty squirm.

"How are you feeling?" he murmured concernedly, wrapping his arms around her waist, "…You should be taking it easy-"

"I'm fine, Will," Terri spoke quickly, her voice short. She turned to face him, although she could not quite bring herself to meet his gaze, "I _want_ to be fine-"

Will's concerned gazed softened into a sad smile and he wrapped his arms around her in a hug, pulling her close, "I want you to be fine, too, Baby-" he spoke into her shoulder, his voice muffled as he ran a hand through her hair, squeezing his eyes shut tightly to stop the sudden emotion that quelled within him. "I love you, Ter."

"Will…" Terri pulled back to look at him, the tears in his eyes evident, and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "…You would have been a great daddy…" she whispered softly.

Will's face crumpled at her praise and the realization that, for now at least, he was nobody's father…there was no baby anymore, they had lost it. They had lost that chance. Terri pulled him to her more tightly as his tears turned to sobs, and she held him like that, in the kitchen, the extent of Will's grief an exact measure of her own, insufferable guilt.

* * *

The weekend passed slowly, with nothing for Terri to do but try to avoid thinking of what she had done. Will phoned in for her on Sunday, insisting that missing one more day of work at Sheets N' Things really wouldn't matter all too much; it was too soon, he insisted, she should stay home. He wanted her to have just one more day to stay sheltered in the safety of their apartment, away from the harsh reality that getting back to their lives would bring. For once, he didn't pull out piles of Glee sheet notes and choreography notebooks. He took care of Terri; mumbling reassurances into her ear and pressing kisses to her temple often. They laid on the couch together on Sunday, watching movies and eating popcorn resignedly, going through the motions, healing together. Will longed to press fast-forward on this part of their lives, to get back to a place where they were happy and whole…to try again for a baby. He knew it was entirely too soon, it was an absurd thought; he could only imagine the toll that suggesting this would take on their marriage…and so he devoted himself to taking care of Terri, to meeting and exceeding her every need. This was what they needed right now…They needed the chance to get through this.

They owed their marriage that much.

Will had been eating lunch with Emma in her office for nearly two weeks now. Some days the routine his life had become passed slowly, and others -depending on his mood- all too quickly. Get up, shower, have breakfast with Terri. Go to school, get through the day, Glee practice…he was back to supervising afternoon detention on Tuesdays, which broke up the monotony slightly…drive home, eat dinner with Terri, grade papers, bed. Will had cut afternoon Glee practice down from three to two practices a week, something that greatly concerned the glee-clubbers, however sympathetic they were to what their director was going through. It just wasn't in him; he needed time. Regionals were months away, anyways.

The word had spread around school -for once, without help from Sue- of what had happened to Will Schuester and his wife, the former school nurse who had started the raging black market for uppers during her time at McKinley…and everywhere Will went he received sympathetic stares. Glee Club at been particularly effected; no one quite knew how to act or what to say, creating a quiet, subdued atmosphere during practices, uncharacteristic for his usually talkative, outgoing students. Quinn seemed especially affected; she practiced every routine with unrivaled determination, shining against the others' half-hearted motions. But anytime her glance slipped over Will and she accidentally made eye contact, her gaze would pool with tears and she would quickly excuse herself. This confused Will, but he just didn't have it in him to dig deeper on this one and find out the reason behind his pregnant student's odd behavior.

Terri had been back on her regular schedule at Sheets N' Things for nearly two weeks now. They were getting along, going through the motions; Kendra and her husband, along with their three kids, had been over for dinner the night before. Things were gradually returning to normal. Terri spent an hour or two a day in her craft room, Will passed the time working on the Blue Bomber II, intent on fixing it up and selling it for a profit; he knew that medical bills loomed in the near future, however unfair it seemed to have to pay for something so heartbreaking and unwanted.

* * *

Today on his lunch break he sat across the desk from Emma in his usual spot, bent over a notepad as he wrote out the ad he was going to place in Lima's local Gazette for the Blue Bomber II, which was nearly restored. He and Terri had gotten into their first disagreement since the miscarriage the night before over a follow-up appointment that Terri had gone to without telling Will. It wasn't something that he had been looking forward to, but Will felt that he should have been there; this was something they were both going through, after all. In the very least, he felt he should have been there for support. Terri, apparently, did not feel the same, and had told him so. Their carefully constructed charade of getting along and busing themselves so as not to pick at the other had quickly fallen apart, so that their voices had escalated until they were nearly shouting before Will had run a tense hand through his hair and left the room, feeling utterly defeated and incomprehensibly lost. He sighed and capped his pen, glancing up from the yellow legal pad to find Emma watching him carefully, crust-free PB&J in hand.

"Hi," he smiled, greeting Emma as if he had not been sitting three feet away from her in her office for the last fifteen minutes. His gaze remained on the guidance counselor -his best friend and sole confidant at McKinley- as she studied him, uncharacteristically silent, and Will tilted his head to the side, curious.

There was a pause while Emma studied him, and Will's gaze turned unsure when she did not answer him. Just as he opened his mouth to say something more, Emma frowned, and with a sigh, placed her sandwich neatly back into it's container and spoke:

"What's going on, Will?"

Will sat up straighter, now with his own matching frown to mirror Emma's, and narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?" he asked carefully, unsure where the guidance counselor was going with this.

"…I mean," Emma hesitated, fiddling with her hands before looking up from under her lashes at Will, completely unaware of how innocent and child-like this made her look, even as Will feared this conversation was about to go somewhere that he stubbornly refused to acknowledge, "What's going on, with you?"

Will opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, his brow now furrowed obstinately as he considered her words.

"I'm not sure I follow you-" he spoke finally, and was surprised to discover a trace of defensive bitterness in his tone.

Emma hesitated.

"What I mean, Will," she continued finally, carefully, threading her fingers together into an expectant pose as she rested her elbows on her desk; leaning forward, "is, what are you doing? What's going on with you?" She lowered her gaze, then looked up carefully, weary of his reaction.

Will was silent for a moment, not sure if she was really going there and if he was really that unwilling to talk about it, surprised at the resentment he felt bubbling up inside of him. He frowned, and leaned back to survey Emma with a skeptical gaze.

"What's going on with me, Emma," he explained carefully knowing that this was not the answer she was looking for, "is that I'm sitting across from you, eating my lunch."

"What about Glee?" Emma fired at him. Will was not expecting this -for her to continue- and reacted nearly as quickly with a defensive:

"What about it?"

"Those kids," Emma insisted, her voice rising passionately, "You worked so hard with them, to get them to where they are, and now…what about Glee? What about what makes you happy, Will?"

Will felt his frustration rise as he closed his mouth, then opened it again and spoke, his aggression rising,

"Nothing's changed-"

"Everything's changed!" Emma insisted, "Don't you see that, Will? You're not the same, those kid's aren't the same!"

"'Those kids' have nothing to do with it!" Will countered, his voice rising angrily as he felt the weight of Emma's attack judgment settle guiltily on his conscience, "I lost a baby, Emma!"

"...I know that, Will-"

"No, you don't!" Will interrupted with an angry shake of his head, "You don't know anything about it! I almost became an accountant," he gave a bitter laugh, his voice uncharacteristically loud and angry in the enclosed space, "I nearly lost everything, for something that- that didn't even work! It's over, Emma-"

"Will-"

"No!" Will cut across, leaning forward to emphasize his point, "You really don't get it, do you? I'm-I'm going through something here! Why can't you see that?"

"I do," Emma insisted direly, 'I do see that, Will-"

"You think those kids need me?" Will demanded, leaning back in his chair and running a hand across his jaw, "I-I need those kids…" Will felt his eyes prick with emotion, his throat grew tight.

Emma's eyes widened and she spoke, softly:

"Will…"

"My marriage is over," he admitted bitterly, choking up as he realized that this, indeed, was probably true. It was the first time he had let himself admit it. "I nearly lost everything…Glee, my job, my happiness…" Will looked up as he made his last admittance, "…you."

Emma inhaled sharply, her wide eyes locking unsurely with Will's:

"I…v-value our friendship, Will," Emma spoke nervously, choosing to loosely interpret Will's admission and feeling suddenly cowardly. "But this isn't healthy for you Will. And Glee…I hear you practicing and it…it just isn't the same-"

"I lost a baby, Emma," Will's voice was low, and he ground his teeth together, feeling suddenly foolish. He loved Terri. Less than a month before he had been elated, ecstatic...living obliviously on the high that expecting a baby had brought…could he really blame the end of his marriage on a miscarriage that his wife had no control over? They had been good, for those few short months they had known that they were going to be a family. Emma should never have brought this up.

"I'm worried about you Will," Emma admitted carefully, doe-eyed, "This isn't healthy-"

"I need time, Emma!" Will exploded angrily, "I- I was happy-and I need time! Why can't you see that?"

"I do, Will, I-"

"No, you don't!" Will insisted defensively, "And who are you, to judge me? You didn't get married…you hide in here everyday because you're too afraid to see Ken Tenaka- too afraid to see what you've done to him! You won't even eat in the break room with the rest of the staff!"

"What do you think you've been doing for nearly two weeks, Will?" Emma demanded shrilly, balling her slender hands into fists and rising from her chair, literally standing up for herself.

"I feel sorry for you, Emma," Will threw back defensively, and he instantly regretted his words. Still, he stood, gathering up his things and turning for the door, "You should probably try working on your own issues before you jump in and decide what's right for everyone else-" his bitter words hung in the air as he pulled open the door to Emma's office and stalked out. Angry tears sprang to Emma's eyes, but there was no one around to see them.

Will was gone.

* * *

_AN: This is/will be an Emma/Will story. _


	6. Chapter 6

Emma was miserable. She swiped indignantly at a grape with her napkin before placing it carefully to her lips, keeping her eyes down. She had spent the last week in an absolute reverse of her usual schedule: where before she had normally gone out of her way to have coincidental 'run ins' with Will, she now took every precaution to avoid him. She left every day before the final bell so that she was halfway to the parking lot before Will could manage to thread his way through the throng of students and make it to her office, only to find that Emma was gone for the day, the blinds drawn. She had forced herself, but she was now back to eating in the break room with the rest of the staff. She had only seen Ken twice, but while Emma was careful to keep an eye out for Will, he stayed away.

Will had yelled at her. Emma immediately blamed herself. Why had she pushed him? She should have left him be. Did she really, after all, know anything about what he was going through? But the Glee kids…Emma was torn between self-doubt and an angry, indignant sense of righteousness. She had confronted him, as a friend, and he had pushed her away…

Will was wracked with guilt. It had been more than a week since his argument with Emma, and as often as he tried, he had yet to catch more than a fleeting glimpse of her since. He had hurt her…He had hurt her, and in turn, he was hurting. He hated himself for being too cowardly to join her in the break room, where he knew she had rejoined the rest of the staff. He hated himself for fighting with Terri, which, after a brief hiatus, was worse than ever. And he hated himself because, deep down, he knew he had more than just feelings of friendship for McKinley High School's guidance counselor.

* * *

Quinn Fabray miscarried on a Tuesday, exactly one month and three days from the Glee Club's sectionals win. The day had started off like any other. It was raining -pouring, really- Will's leather bomber jacket was soaked through from his run to the building, but this barely registered in his comatose state as he unlocked the door to his office and pulled the heavy material away from his body to hang it on the hook by the door. They had fought again this morning, he and Terri. Will had hovered sullenly over his oatmeal while Terri berated him, growing increasingly more shrill while he slowly ate, devotedly chewing each bite. Emma had not been in her office when Will had detoured past it, either, though this barely registered any sense of surprise or disappointment anymore.

The morning passed slowly. Will passed out a pop quiz, ignoring the grumbles from his Spanish II students while the rain beat steadily against the windows. He took advantage of the quiet to half heartedly revise his newest arrangement for Glee. Figgins had eased up on Will since New Directions had taken Sectionals, meaning Will no longer had to supervise Tuesday afternoon detention, freeing up the time slot for a much needed Glee practice.

The crowd of students in the hallway outside his classroom made it difficult for Will to navigate his way towards the staffroom before lunch, determined to catch Emma before she could escape into the safety of the teacher's lounge. As it was, Rachel Berry intercepted him, her voice a shrill three octaves higher than usual, clearly determined:

"Mr. _Schue_," the overbearing brunette demanded, stepping in front of Will, "We need to talk-"

Will hesitated.

"Can it wait Rachel?" he pleaded desperately, craning over the crowd of students on their way to lunch.

"No!" Rachel insisted indignantly, "It certainly cannot! Mr. Schue, Glee Club is drowning! Like the slow, slow, death of the Titanic, you've allowed us to hit an iceberg and we're sinking!"

Will frowned, momentarily distracted by his Glee clubber's words. "Wait, Rachel-_what_?"

"Your personal troubles, while very heartbreaking, are slowly pulling us under! Glee Club is struggling to breath, Mr. Schue, and you're letting it happen!"

Will opened his mouth to speak, but Rachel quickly beat him to it:

"Don't speak-" she insisted, "Don't say anything, just…come to practice today. See what we've been working on, while you've been…struggling. Glee Club is about being there for each other, through good and bad…It's time for you to come up for air, Mr. Schue."

* * *

As it was, the hold up with Rachel in the hallway caused Will to catch nothing more than a red-haired glimpse of Emma as she briskly rounded the corner and into the break room for lunch, her head down. Will hated himself for his cowardice. He imagined her sitting alone at their old table, polishing grapes and trying politely not to eavesdrop on the tables full of other faculty members. The rest of the day passed slowly, and as Will gathered his papers together, slung his bag over his shoulder and headed for the choir room, he didn't even bother raising his head to keep an eye out for Emma Pillsbury.

"Hey guys," Will spoke resignedly, head down as he pulled the door to the choir room closed behind him.

"Mr. Schuester-" Rachel announced, "Welcome."

Will looked up, his expression turning puzzled as he took in all twelve members of the Glee Club standing before him in sets of two, hands on hips in performance stance.

"What-" Will frowned, "What's ah, going on guys?"

"…You've been down, Mr. Schue," Finn supplied, stepping forward, "And we get that," he stuck his hands in his pockets, his earnest gaze as intense and understanding as ever, "But this is Glee Club. And we stick together. Isn't that what you've always taught us?"

Finn looked to his peers for encouragement, stepping back into the ranks as they nodded in agreement.

"We're a team, Mr. Schuester," Rachel supplied, a hopeful smile playing across her features.

"We stick together," Finn conceded.

"Which is why we've prepared a little something," Rachel announced, with a self-satisfied nod, "To remind you that-"

"-we're always here," Artie finished, rolling forward as the rest of the group stepped into their positions.

Finn took the lead:

'…_So no one told you life was gonna be this way _

_Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's DOA' _

The Glee Club clapped in unison as Rachel took over:

'_It's like you're always stuck in second gear _

_When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year_

_but…'_

'_I'll be there for you'_

Tina sang:

'_When the rain starts to pour_

_I'll be there for you'_

Artie took over:

'_Like I've been there before I'll be there for you'_

Quinn:

_'Cuz you're there for me too..._

It was Finn's turn again as he danced backwards past Quinn and Mike, going through the steps they'd practiced:

'_You're still in bed at ten and work began at eight _

_You've burned your breakfast so far... things are goin' great _

_Your mother warned you there'd be days like these _

_Oh but she didn't tell you when the world has brought You down to your knees that…'_

'_I'll be there for you'_

Rachel took the lead as the rest of the club joined in to finish the routine, the guys twirling the girls at the start of the verse before pulling them into theatrical protective embraces:

'_When the rain starts to pour_

_I'll be there for you _

_Like I've been there before_

_I'll be there for you _

_'Cuz you're there for me too…'_

_'I'll be there for you _

_I'll be there for you _

_I'll be there for you _

_'Cuz you're there for me too…'_

Their routine ended perfectly on the last note as they finished the song harmoniously, their breathing heavy as they beamed supportively at their Glee Club director. Will found himself unable to speak. His throat was tight; after everything that had happened in the last month…he felt more uplifted and inspired than he had since taking Sectionals.

"Guys, that was…" Will struggled to find words, "Wow, thank you. I needed that-"

"I think we all did," Rachel provided supportively, looking towards the rest of her peers for their encouragement.

"You gonna be okay, Mr. Schue?" Puck inquired genuinely, clapping their teacher on the back.

"Yeah…" Will came to the realization slowly, "I think I am. Thank you guys, so much. For the song…for putting up with me for the last month, through everything-"

The members of Glee converged on their director, hugging and laughing and cracking jokes. It took Will a moment, amongst the celebratory high-fives and words of encouragement, to notice that Quinn had not joined in…but instead had a hand to her stomach as though pained, her grasp tight on her choir stool for support.

"Quinn," Will turned away from the rest of the group with a concerned frown, "…You okay?"


	7. Chapter 7

Emma heard the tense, panicked voices drifting down the empty hallway before she heard the sirens from the ambulance. For as long as she could remember, Emma had made it a habit to stay late working on scholarship applications Wednesday nights, during which Will held an after-school tutoring session for his Spanish I students. She had justified picking Wednesdays in her mind; Wednesday was the middle of the week, the perfect day to sort through the piles of applications that inevitably ended up in her inbox tray. It had nothing at all do to with the tutoring schedule of a certain curly-haired Señor Schuester…

Tuesday nights were a different story all together. Emma had been overseeing SAT Prep courses at McKinley since her first year at the school, long before Will had taken over Glee. The small change in location -conveniently relocated to room 103 this year- had nothing to do with actual classroom space as she had claimed and everything to do with it's close proximity to the choir room. It was second nature to Emma now to have one ear trained for the exciting sound of a newly-rehearsed show tune or the steady rhythm of Will's voice as he ran through new choreography carrying down the hallway.

Therefore, when midway through her SAT question and answer session Emma heard the cries of shock and panic, she almost didn't realize something was amiss. So accustomed was she to hearing shouts of laughter and clapping and bursts of song, the unsteady, worried voices, over which Will's own insistent voice tried calmly to direct, seemed -for just a moment- like some kind of sick up-tempo song. It was at this moment that the guidance counselor registered the steadily oncoming sound of sirens in the distance and realized that something was terribly wrong. One of the football players in Glee -Matt- went rushing past her to meet the ambulance at the south entrance of the building as Emma stuck her head out of her classroom door, unsure and growing alarmed. A crowd of Glee Club members were clustered around the door to the choir room; Emma turned back to instruct her classroom of students to remain where they were before striding quickly off down the hall towards the group.

The sound of her Mary Janes echoing off rows of empty lockers sounded strange, and too loud.

* * *

Will's heart was breaking. It was too much, too soon. First Terri, and now Quinn? His heart went out to the girl; the bright, witty former Head Cheerio who had overcome so much already. Watching and participating in the lessons his Glee students learned was a daily reward for Will. Whether it was Kurt coming to terms with his sexuality and learning to be proud of the talented individual he was, or Tina slowly ridding herself of her fake stutter and blooming into a bold, self-assured individual, Will was truly proud of each and every one of them.

But Quinn; Quinn Fabray held a special place in Will's heart. Maybe it was because he had watched her not only work to change herself, but the mindsets of those around her as she overcame stereotypes and learned to cope as a pregnant teen. Quinn was one of the members whom Glee Club had affected most profoundly…something that instilled pride in Will almost daily. He had envied her, in a way: what she was able to have so effortlessly that, it seemed, he and Terri would never have for their own.

Was it the dance routines? Had he been pushing her too hard? Practices had been less intense since coming back from Sectionals; Will's depression had slowly affected all of them, causing club meetings to slowly become disorganized and unmotivated. Still, Will questioned himself. Had he played a role in this?

Now the lobby of the emergency room at Lima's Westfield Mercy hospital was crowded with the rest of the Glee Club and Emma, whom Will still had not earnestly gotten to talk to more than a few rushed words since they had arrived. She was doing a very good job of keeping the rest of the students calm, no doubt from her schooling in counseling. Will could tell that she herself was upset and worried, if only because he had grown to know her habits. He knew Emma cared about the members of the Glee Club just as much as he did. He watched as she nervously tapped the toe of her shoe on the thin carpet of the waiting area, her hands clasped together in front of her as she supervised, every so often casting a sympathetic glance in Puck's direction. Mercedes rested her head on Kurt's shoulder, her face solemn, while Finn gazed out the window and down into the parking lot, his expression unreadable. Will looked on sadly, blinking hard to keep from associating this too closely to his own heart-wrenching experience, while beside him Santana linked pinkies with Brittany. Rachel was -for once- quiet.

* * *

Four hours passed before anyone was allowed to see Quinn, and by that time, only Will remained. Rachel had bullied a nurse into giving her an update; she returned with a tear in her eye and solemnly whispered the bad news to the rest of the club. In ones and twos, the Glee Clubbers were picked up by their parents. Will shook hands and spoke with every parent, going through the proper motions, until soon only Mercedes and Emma remained. Puck had long ago -upon hearing the news- kicked over a small coffee table and stormed away, but Finn had followed, keeping his distance, with a promise to report back to Will by phone or text if either one of them needed anything. He still had not had more than a few murmured exchanges with Emma; Will knew now was not the time for his apology. Mercedes had insisted on staying, until finally, once it became clear that she would not be allowed in to see Quinn tonight, Will has suggested that Emma take her home.

"I can stay," Emma had assured, wringing her hands like a small child and looking earnestly up at him, her eyes wide beneath long lashes.

"No," Will had objected, "You've done enough." He reached out and gripped her upper arm thankfully, "Thank you, Emma."

"Will…" Emma seemed hesitant, worried to leave. She understood far too well just how much this was affecting him. "Are… " she changed, tactics: "Y-you're sure?" She blushed and looked down and away from him, at the floor, her cheeks hot for a reason she didn't have time to sort through at the moment.

Will had stared at Emma; his eyes seemed to burn into her until finally, her gaze had met his own, "Thank you, Emma," he said again, and from the bottom of his heart he meant it, "I'll…talk to you tomorrow?"

It was a question, one to which he hoped she had the answer he so desired.

"S-Sure," Emma nodded, "Yes." And in her gaze was the most truthful of all clarities: she had forgiven him, Will understood in that instant. He knew he still owed her an apology, but that would come later, when he had proper time to devote to all he had to say.

"...Goodnight," Will had smiled grimly, giving her shoulder once last squeeze. The urge to tuck a stray piece of hair that had fallen away from her perfectly coifed bangs was almost unmanageable. She smiled at him, timid and reassuring, and Will's heart gave a particularly painful throb.

* * *

The two had left an hour ago, Will watching from the window as the taillights of Emma's shiny black Volvo grew smaller and smaller before fading out of sight. Finally, as the only adult present, he was allowed in to see Quinn. He gave a timid knock on the door of her room before letting himself in, hesitant.

"Don't be embarrassed," Quinn instructed from her place in bed, propped up tiredly against her pillow. Her voice was soft; she spoke in the humble sort of way that only she possessed; something her spectacular fall from grace (from Head Cheerio to pregnant teen) had gained her. Her face was tear-stained, and her cheeks flushed slightly as Will moved further into the room, feeling out of place.

"Quinn…" Will spoke carefully, "I-"

"It's okay," the Glee student shrugged, careful of her façade, pushing away the hurt. She had gotten good at that, these past few months.

"Is there someone I can call?' Will inquired earnestly, feeling helpless, "…Your parents?"

"Don't bother…" Quinn shook her head, and though she tried, a rogue tear escaped and rolled traitorously down her cheek.

"Quinn, I-"

"Mr. Schue," Quinn spoke quietly, her voice knowing, "It's okay. Puck will come back," she explained, a slight confidence to her words. Puck would come back. He wouldn't know what to say; he would hover awkwardly in the corner and offer to get her ice chips because he was completely confused on how to handle the situation, and slowly, the minutes would pass in silence, until finally he would crawl into bed beside her and hold her while she cried. She would drift away into sleep with Puck's arms around her, and in the morning, he would stand awkwardly and offer to call his mom for a ride. Puck's mother would pick them up in her beat-up grey minivan, and life would go on.

"Everyone says hello," Will looked around the room unsurely. It seemed so empty…so lonely. "Mercedes wanted to stay…" his words drifted off, he lowered himself awkwardly into the only chair in the room as Quinn bit down hard on her bottom lip and blinked up at the ceiling, forcing herself to stay emotionless. "Quinn, I'm so, so sorry-"

"It's fine," Quinn gasped stubbornly, keeping her eyes trained hard on the ceiling.

"No, it's not," Will acknowledged understandingly, "You lost something today, Quinn, something real…It's okay to cry-"

"_I _lost something?" Quinn laughed bitterly, her voice full of scorn as she finally allowed herself to look at the Glee Club instructor, the tears betraying her now, one by one, "What about you?" she demanded, "What about what you lost?"

Will felt his throat grow tight.

"Quinn-"

"She was yours," Quinn admitted bitterly, "She was supposed to be yours..."

"I don't understand…" Will frowned as Quinn let out a quiet sob, "I...Quinn, what are you saying?"

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Schue..."


	8. Chapter 8

"Will!" Terri tossed aside the catalogue she had been flipping through when she heard the front door slam, standing from her place at the kitchen table and striding indignantly to the foyer to intercept her husband, the beginnings of a lecture on her lips, "Where have you been-" she died off when she saw him, his forehead and one fist pressed up against the closed door.

"…W-Will?"

He turned slowly, and the look on his face made Terri's stomach drop. Uh-oh. She changed tactics.

"It's late" she explained slowly, forcing herself to keep the annoyance from her voice. "I was starting to worry…" Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited for him to say something. "W-Will?" she tried finally, when still he did not speak, "...Say something-"

"I was at the hospital, with Quinn Fabray," Will spoke finally, "She lost her baby," his voice was deathly calm in the heavy silence of the foyer, "…It happened during Glee practice."

"Oh," Terri's struggled to breath. Did he know? What had Quinn told him? Why had she _lied_? "Oh-" she stood up straighter, "That's- that's awful."

Will turned away in disgust.

"She told me!" he burst angrily, turning away from her and throwing his hands in the air angrily. "Terri, she told me everything!"

"Will-"

"No!" Will cut her off, as hurt and angry as she'd ever seen him, "You LIED to me! Everything, the baby, the miscarriage, it was all a-a LIE!"

"Will!" Terry stepped forward desperately, her hands clasped together pleadingly, "It didn't start out that way!" she insisted, "Please-"

"No!" Will cut her off, slamming the palm of his hand against the doorframe angrily, "You lied to me, Terri! Quinn told me everything! That baby-" he pointed angrily towards the door, in the direction of the hospital, "That baby was supposed to be _ours_-" he died off with a disgusted shudder, while Terri tried in vain to reach out to him.

"Please!" Terri begged, "Please, please Will- stop!" she shrieked, afraid, for the first time in her life, of Will as he turned angrily and threw his keys. They crashed noisily into the table by the door and knocked over a frame with a picture of one of their Christmas' together. It fell to the floor, where the protective glass shattered.

"Will, Will, Will!" Terri begged, reaching out to cling to him, her tone pleading, "It didn't start out that way! I- I really thought I was pregnant!" she sobbed as he wrenched out of her grasp, but continued desperately, "The doctor said it was a hysterical pregnancy! I really thought I was pregnant Will-"

"And then?" Will demanded, his voice furious and demanding, "When he told you that you weren't-when you didn't say anything and continued to LIE to me…when you let me believe that you'd miscarried, when you made me feel like it was my _fault-_" Will ran both hands through his hair, bring his fist pounding against the wall in his hurt, "Do you have any _idea_ what you've put me _through_?"

"I'm sorry Will!" Terri sobbed, trying again to reach for him, "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!"

"Get away from me," Will jerked away from her, his voice filled with quiet fury, "I don't want to hear it, I don't want to _see _you-" he corrected himself, experiencing a sudden, unexpected epiphany. It felt good. He bent to pick up his keys and backed away slowly; her panicked gaze never left his, but suddenly…Will felt free.

"…I'm leaving," he spoke determinedly. "Goodbye, Terri."

* * *

Emma was perched on the edge of her couch with a cup of tea, preparing for the ten o'clock news, when her cell began to ring. She stared from her place across the room for a moment in disbelief, somehow knowing, without really thinking of how, that Will was calling her on her cell, at ten 'o clock at night, and that her nightly routine of watching the news was about to take an unexpected turn. She set her mug on it's designated coaster, pausing for a moment to straighten it before uncrossing her ankles and rising to cross the room. She stared at her cell hungrily, eyes wide, as if it were a morsel of some tasty variety and she was starving. It vibrated slowly across the table, it's screen flashing: 'Will'.

Emma hesitated before flipping it open daintily and bringing it to her ear.

"…Hello?"

"Emma?" Will sounded like he had a bad head cold, "It's me."

"Hi, Will-" Emma spoke breathlessly and leaned against the wall, her heart beating rapidly, "Is everything, ah, okay? Is it Quinn-"

"It's not Quinn," Will took a heavy breath, and suddenly Emma understood the head cold thing: he had been crying. "Look, I've never-" Will hesitated, "I've never called you before-"

"You have," Emma objected, thinking of the times they had discussed faculty meetings or their partnership in the most recent batch of parent-teacher conferences. She realized too late this probably wasn't the point and bit down on her lip, moving nervously to squirt a pump of Purell into her hands, tucking her cell to her ear with her shoulder. "What is this about, Will?"

"We're friends," Will justified stuffily, "…Friends can talk right?"

"…O-Of course," Emma was afraid her breathless excitement was embarrassingly audible, and she frowned. The line remained silent. Finally, Will spoke.

"…Can I come over?"

"Oh," Emma's eyes widened in surprise, "Yes, um, Yes. Of course, Will, come over. Do you know where I live?"

"…Actually, er, yeah," Will admitted nervously. There was an embarrassed silence on both parts as Emma processed this.

"Okay…" Emma gripped the phone tightly, "Um, okay then. I'll guess I'll…see you."

"Bye, Em."

* * *

Emma opened the door and stepped back to allow Will space to enter her condo a few minutes later, leading her to believe that he had already been on his way when he had called. This made her irrationally hopeful and she blushed, feeling ashamed.

"Come in," she hesitated as Will did as he was told, looking bashful and slightly taken aback by her condo's pristine interior.

"Thank you," Will tucked his hands in his pockets and looked around. "This is…nice," he raised his eyebrows as he took it all in; the pristine white couches, the perfect, freshly-vacuumed carpets…all the way down to Emma, still dressed crisply in her work clothes.

Emma bowed her head furtively, knowing full well what he was thinking. '_Crazy'_. She wrung her hands together and blurted:

"So you knew where I live?"

It was Will's turn to be embarrassed, and he shoved his hands further into his pockets with a shrug.

"I, ah, just a conversation I had with Ken Tanaka, once," he admitted grudgingly, knowing how he must sound, "He mentioned the er, living arrangements, for you know…the marriage. I ah, asked him where you lived. It was-" he gave an embarrassed laugh, "It's not how it sounds-"

"No," Emma found herself nodding slowly and quickly corrected it, turning it into a slow shake of her head midway, "No, no, no," she agreed nervously, her eyes wide, "N-Not how it s-sounds at all-"

Will's gaze met hers and Emma blushed and took a step backwards.

"Please, um, sit down," she offered graciously, motioning towards the couch, "Would you like some tea?"

Emma picked up her own mug as Will sat awkwardly on the very end of the couch and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, his expression turning solemn.

"Thank you," Will accepted the offer with a nod, if only to placate her; this was strange for him, too. But…he didn't know what to do. _Had he just left his wife?_ he wondered, as Emma busied herself with tea for him in the kitchen. He took in his surroundings from his place on the couch until Emma came back and handed him a mug, which he clasped between both hands, warming them, as the guidance counselor perched herself carefully on the opposite end of the couch and turned his way.

Will allowed himself another moment to take everything in, his gaze finally coming to rest on Emma, with her perfectly flipped bob and chic blouse with a huge bow on the front, the concern on her face evident. Her eyes were widened expectantly, unsure; and yet, Will found a deep understanding there which he took solace in.

He took a breath, his eyes traveling around once more before coming to rest in her gaze.

"…I think I just left my wife."


	9. Chapter 9

_Will allowed himself another moment to take everything in, his gaze finally coming to rest on Emma, with her perfectly flipped bob and chic blouse with a huge bow on the front, the concern on her face evident. Her eyes were widened expectantly, unsure; and yet, Will found a deep understanding there which he took solace in._

_He took a breath, his eyes traveling around once more before coming to rest in her gaze._

_"…I think I just left my wife."_

__

_

* * *

_

"Will…" Emma clasped and unclasped her hands, eyes wide., and shifted in her seat, "That's-that's huge…"

Will bowed his head, looking down into his tea.

"She lied to me, Em," Will explained, his voice anguished. Emma tried to keep her heart from fluttering weakly at the way he endearingly shortened her name as he continued, "She was never pregnant. There was no baby…"

"Oh, Will…" Emma reached forward instinctively and laid a hand over his own, larger one as he continued,

"I treated you so horribly; I was…heartbroken," Will choked, his face clouded with pain, and he ran a hand roughly through his hair, "I was…drowning," he supplied, thinking back to his talk with Rachel in the hall and the metaphor she'd used. It had only been this morning they'd talked; to Will it felt like _days... _

"I was drowning and…you were my air," he admitted miserably, "And I pushed you away…"

"You we grieving, Will," Emma explained gently, her voice soft and understanding, while at the same time her heart swelled hopefully at the thought: Will _needed _her. "You didn't mean it-"

"You know I didn't-" he insisted direly, his gazing snapping up to meet hers in an instant, as if suddenly terrified that she wouldn't believe him.

"Of course you didn't," Emma agreed graciously, "You'd just lost a baby, Will. I-I know it feels all…wrong now," she provided, upon seeing him about to object, "But your feelings were real, Will. What Terri put you through…those emotions can't be faked."

"I wanted it, Em," Will admitted feebly. "A baby…I wanted it _so_ badly…"

"I know," Emma comforted as Will's voice broke on his last word and tears began to trail tellingly down his face. He bowed his head and Emma's heart broke. Acting on some sort of deep, natural instinct she pulled him to her, wrapping her arms around the broad expanse of his back and letting his head fall to her shoulder. "Sshhh…I know," she soothed, rocking back and forth, somehow finding her hand at the back of his neck and nimbly threading her fingers through his curls, "Sshhh, Will…"

Will squeezed his eyes shut as tightly as possible and let his tears fall for his lost baby…a daughter that he would never know…He cried because he had yelled at Emma, that day in her office; because he had judged her. His emotions overtook him and came tellingly now, but somehow he knew that Emma wouldn't judge _him_. She rocked back and forth as Will let flow his hurt and betrayal, and her voice was soothing as she repeated his name softly, the sound calm and sure and rhythmic:

"Will…"

He let himself be carried away on the comfort that overcame him when she spoke his name, soft and sweet and tinged with an adorable accent so that it came out more like 'Wheel' than 'Will'. Her voice washed over him, healing him, and in that moment, around the edges…things didn't hurt so much.

* * *

Will stayed the night on Emma's couch.

Sometime late into the evening it began again to rain; the 10 o'clock news had long ago wrapped it's last segment for the evening on a family of ocelots at the Cincinnati Zoo, Emma's tea was cold and Will's neck was stiff. He sat up awkwardly, vulnerable and tired, and reached for his jacket.

"I'm sorry, it's late," he apologized, "I should go-"

"Where?" Emma had demanded, without giving Will a chance to consider this she had continued, "You'll stay here."

"Really, Emma," Will had insisted, afraid of overstepping his boundaries, "You've done enough-"

"Will, you're staying."

…'_Wheel'_. He sighed.

"I really appreciate it," he thanked gratefully, his eyes suddenly heavy as Emma marched out of the room and returned with a fresh set of sheets.

"It's not much," Emma noted, tucking the corners of the sheets around the edges of the cushions and pulling them tight, "I've only got the one bedroom…" she blushed unintentionally as she said this and ducked her head, busying herself with the spare duvet, "Stay as long as you need."

"Thank you, Emma…" Will's throat was tight and something in the tone of his voice forced her to meet his gaze as it burned into her, "For everything."

Emma straightened, then looked away, suddenly feeling shy and very self-conscious.

"...Anytime, Will."

* * *

Emma slept fitfully. She didn't toss or turn; rather, she lay absolutely still and stared up at the ceiling in her dark bedroom, her mind processing the days' events. The rain beat a steady rhythm outside her window. Emma's head spun and her heart pounded. Will Schuester -her best friend and admitted longtime crush- was asleep in her living room. On her couch. _And he was leaving his wife? _Emma's heart fluttered nervously. Surely not. Terri had done a terrible thing…but surely not.

Something about having another person in her quiet little apartment made Emma want to call out: let her voice drift into the next room and carry on a conversation with the man on her couch. She had never been one for sleepovers as a child, and she never had visitors at her apartment. All the family she had lived in Virginia, and aside from her coworkers, she had no friends in Lima. The loud drumming of the rain made it pointless for conversation, however, and besides, Will was asleep. Emma shifted restlessly and closed her eyes, willingly sleep to come.

The rain had tapered off to a chill drizzle in the morning, and Emma was up before her alarm: showering, brushing her teeth, and styling her hair impeccably before slipping on green dress and matching, bow-adorned cardigan. She poked her head into the living room timidly, carrying her shoes by the heel and setting them carefully next to the front door. Tiptoeing into the kitchen she quietly started the coffee before searching out her umbrella and grabbing her purse and keys. Will stirred on the couch as she slipped on her shoes by the door but remained asleep as she slipped quietly out.

Emma was up early enough to make a nice breakfast for Will. Something to cheer him up. Pancakes. She had shuddered when she thought of presenting Will with the flat, flimsy things her skillet tended to turn out when she used soy milk. There was a grocery a few blocks for her condo, and Emma picked up the things she needed there, along with fresh bread and a new jar of peanut butter for lunch. Avoiding the puddles, she picked her way back through the parking lot and made her way back to her home, trying very hard not to think hopefully of the freshly heartbroken man on her couch.

* * *

When Will awoke he did not remember, at first, where he was. He yawned, pulling his face out of the pillow, and rose up on his elbows to look around. He was on a couch, but it was not his couch, nor Kendra's, nor his parents'. His brain churned for possible options even as his heart simultaneously leaped hopefully with dawning realization and fell in bitter resentment as his brain finally caught up and he remembered.

He was at Emma's.

Under the worst possible circumstances.

Because Terri had lied to him.

Will exhaled miserably and again buried his face into the pillow, content to just stay here and avoid the harsh realities of his freshly overturned life forever. He inhaled the fresh linen smell of his pillowcase and decided that Emma's couch was rather comfortable for being so structured and perfectly, pristinely white…Maybe the rain would continue and the room would stay dim and Will could just sleep away the rest of his days here.

He laid there, face down, and listened to the quiet sounds drifting from the kitchen. The radio was playing, somewhere…Will imagined a small radio sitting atop the refrigerator and Emma singing along. He didn't know, really, if Emma was the singing type; Will was constantly singing or humming or whistling, as if he could not go one day without creating an accompanying soundtrack. The news headlines were being reported and commented on by some radio host now, but thinking of music had caused Will's thoughts to drift to Glee Club. They needed him; eventually he would have to leave the couch and the oddly comforting confines of Emma's obsessively clean apartment.

Will laid there for a few minutes longer, debating the pros and cons of getting off the couch, as if his life could be put on hold if the rain could only continue a while longer and he could only stay here. Somewhere a ticking clock kept time but Will refused to pull his face from the pillow and look its way; if Emma was still here that meant school did not start for a good hour and a half, as she always arrived to McKinley early to prep for her day. Will knew her schedule well, and the grey morning light filtering into the room -even with the rain- told him it was still early yet. Will's mind drifted, intentionally avoiding the events from the day previous. His heart was achingly tight, and he had nearly drifted off to sleep again when he heard it.

Dainty gagging sounds -could the sound of gagging _be _dainty?- pulled him from his stupor and caused him to frown. Suddenly alert, he propped himself up, as awake as he had been all morning. His ears strained for another round of the odd noise, and sure enough, as Will called out from his place on the couch, and swung his legs over its edge to stand, he heard it again.

"Emma?" Will stood and followed the noises, slightly alarmed, until he arrived in the kitchen. Emma stood, adorably prim in a ruffled apron tied over her dress and cardigan ensemble, over a mixing bowl in the kitchen, her nose plugged with one hand and in the other, a half gallon of…milk.

"Oh, Will-" _gag_ "-Did I wake you?-" _gag _"-I was making breakfast-" _gag_-

Will could have easily stood and stared at the sight in front of him with incredulity and humor…if he had not known how serious this was for Emma. His mind quickly appraised the situation, and the problem and accompanying solution processed and clicked for him in an instant.

"-You don't do dairy," Will supplied knowingly, stepping forward and taking the milk from her grasp. He had taken action and rescued her without a second thought, although now he was unsure of what to do next. She didn't seem upset…merely repulsed by the dairy product that was now safely away from her in Will's hands. In fact, her voice was endearingly nasal when she plugged her nose that way, and Will couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in curiosity at the predicament. Emma blushed deeply, her cheeks a pretty pink, and lifted the box of pancake mix from the counter.

"I thought I'd make breakfast," she held up the box by way of explanation, "Cheer you up." She smiled encouragingly on her last word, and Will could not help but return the sentiment.

"...You were going to make pancakes..." Will surmised slowly, in disbelief, "...With milk…for me." It was more a statement than a question, and Emma nodded solemnly, her eyes wide.

Will stared, and his throat grew tight with suppressed emotion.

"Tell you what," he decided, stepping forward and taking the box from Emma with a smile loaded with as much appreciation and gratitude as he could convey in a gesture so small, "How about I give it a try?"

By the time the iron was hot and ready for the first test cake, Will's thoughts -as Emma regaled him with a hilarious and intentionally distracting play by play of an incident involving Figgins, Sue, and a state of the art confetti cannon- were anywhere but on the upsetting turn his life had taken as of the day previous.


	10. Chapter 10

Emma stood over Will with a steaming mug of coffee and a brown bag lunch and cleared her throat.

"Will?" she spoke hesitantly, this was day five of Will spending the night on her couch, and every morning was different. Sometimes he was up and off the couch of his own accord; the sheets pulled from the cushions and folded in a neat stack on top of it, looking sheepish as he exited the bathroom, his curls wet from the shower. Still others, it seemed nearly an impossible task to make himself get up from his temporary home in her living room and face the day.

They had, however, developed a functioning sort of routine. Emma was grateful to be able to help him, and Will was grateful to Emma. They spent their days at school and their evenings at Emma's apartment, and although Will had tried to convince Emma after his first night there that he was a burden and couldn't continue to stay on her couch, she had insisted. The rest of the week they had conquered day by day together. Emma guarded his weak points, tiptoeing around the sensitive subjects and fending off their inquisitive peers in the faculty room, while Will put all of his focus into Glee, bent on pushing forward. He spent the weekend two towns away at his parents house, partly because he had confided to them the turn his life had taken and could use their support and partly because filling two empty days of school-less time with Emma simultaneously enticed and terrified the both of them. Emma was glad when he had told her of his weekend agenda, as she herself had wondered how on earth they would fill the time without the distractions of work and Glee to keep them focused.

He was back on Sunday night, however, and they had watched a movie, sitting as close and carefully apart from each other as they could manage while sharing from the same bowl of popcorn. Monday night had been chaotic as Terri has shown up at her condo midway through the evening. Emma had no idea how she had found her address and Will had apologized profusely after Terri had called her a 'homewrecker' and slung multiple accusations at Will after which a terrible, heated argument had erupted between the spouses in the hall outside her front door.

Will's phone vibrated with calls and messages from Terri to the point that he was now keeping it off. Between what he had told Emma and what she had gathered from his standoff the day previous, Will wanted a divorce and was seeking a lawyer, and Terri was moving out of their apartment and into her sister Kendra's. Will promised Emma that he would be off of her couch and out of her apartment by the end of the week; Emma assured him that he would never be a burden to her, especially under the circumstances. He confided in her his despair at the state of his marriage, but acknowledged that the give and take between he and Terri had always been 'give' from him and firmly and consistently 'take' from Terri. He just couldn't forgive his wife for what she had done.

"...Will?" It was Tuesday morning now and Emma could tell that today was going to be one of _those_ days as she gently spoke his name again. He sat up and looked at his watch before offering her a smile. He always had a smile for her, she'd noticed, no matter the circumstance, above all else he appreciated what she was doing for him and made sure to convey it.

"Morning, Em."

"Good morning," Emma returned properly. "Will…" she hesitated, pausing to study him for a moment, "Should I call Figgins and tell him you won't be in?" She sensed that today was going to be one of the more difficult for Will. The last ten years of his life had been scrambled beyond recognition, and without pushing too hard, Emma tried to help: "I could tell him you're not feeling well, I'm sure he'd understand-"

Will smiled, slightly incredulous, and she faltered to a stop, unsure.

"You know me so well," Will shook his head disbelievingly, "It's incredible."

"I'm sorry," Emma blushed.

"Don't be," Will insisted, his gaze intent and full of emotion, "I'm so incredibly grateful to have someone like you looking out for me, Em."

Emma stared wide-eyed at him for a moment before seeming to catch herself and snap out of it.

"Er, in that c-case, I made coffee," she passed him the mug, stumbling slightly over her words as she did when she was nervous, "And h-here's your lunch. It's PB&J," she offered, by way of explanation, depositing the bag on the coffee table and straightening up. "I've got some, s-stuff to do, before first period-"

"Stuff?" Will grinned endearingly, charmed by her use of the word and by her sentiment.

"Uh-huh-" Emma nodded her head hugely, eyes big, and took a step backwards. "So, t-there's your lunch, and, um, h-have a good day-"

"See you at lunch?" Will queried, and Emma nodded.

"S-sure-"

"Okay," Will smiled, "And Emma?"

"Yes?" Emma had her hand on the knob of the front door now, looking for all the world as if she wanted to bolt.

"Thank you," Will smiled, and offered her up a cavalier toast with his mug of coffee.

* * *

Emma sat in her office and rearranged her informative pamphlets She had not married Ken because of her feelings for Will, and now Will was staying on her couch, in her apartment, and divorcing his wife. When she made the choice she had never considered that Will would be anything than taken. But if she knew she was capable of feeling this way about someone, wasn't it better to wait for the right person to come along rather than marry for the wrongs reasons? She flushed and picked up a copy of 'I Have Two Moms' and fanned herself feverishly, feeling foolish. Will was still married, she was a colleague, his _friend. _Her silly daydreams were not coming true; in a day or two Will would be off her couch and back at his own apartment, and things would return to the way they had been.

Emma frowned and moved on to straightening her collection of #2 pencils she kept on her desk for taking notes. Longing glances, lingering touches, feelings left unsaid…Emma was fit to burst with the frustration of it all. It was all in her head, she was crazy and she knew it. Emma was the one gazing adoringly at Will. Emma was the one who savored every touch. Emma was the one who very nearly professed her undying love to her best friend in her living room this morning.

The suddenness of it all startled her:

'You know me so well, it's incredible. I'm so incredibly grateful to have someone like you looking out for me, Em.'

A simple proclamation from Will had nearly undone her. Of course she knew him. She could have easily told him right then and there, standing awkwardly next to the coffee table, a brown bag lunch clasped in one hand…_I love you. _Emma shook her head and nearly fell from her seat as Will strode past the glass windows of her office and shot her a wave and a smile on the way to his first period class.

* * *

When Will awoke this morning he had wanted nothing more than to turn over and go back to sleep. He could instantly tell: it was going to be one of _those _days. The radio was on in the kitchen and he could hear Emma moving around, making coffee and preparing for her day. She was creature of habit, he had quickly picked up on this. When Emma was in the kitchen the radio came on, coffee was made, breakfast was eaten. She looked over her schedule for the day and turned the volume up slightly if she heard a song she liked.

He had yet to hear her sing.

Will must have drifted off again because when he next opened his eyes Emma was standing over him, her sweet voice seeming to carry over from his dream into reality. For a moment he thought he must have imagined it; it was dream-Emma that was smiling at him, her hand on his arm as they laughed about happy dream things. Will smiled to himself and imagined it was real. That was, until she spoke again:

"Will…?"

He had sat up, glanced at his watch and taken in the vision of an angel. Her red hair fell into soft curls around her face, framing her wide eyes. Her gaze was caring and inquisitive, her lips turned downward in a concerned frown. Will felt guilty for this, but he had found it hard, in that instant, not to pull her towards him and kiss her right there. He mentally shook himself. He had had feelings for Emma as long as he could remember, try as he had to push them away. It was strange, thinking back now, how those feelings had almost crept up on him over time. It was hard not to show her how he felt, but he had always been with Terri…

And wish as he may that it were true, Will knew that those things like lingering touches were merely his desire overplaying something he knew was wrong, and had only ever merely wished for.

* * *

Lunchtime came and he found Emma still in her office, although as of late they had taken to eating in the faculty lounge together. He knocked on the frame of her open door and peeked his head in, feeling timid for reasons he wasn't quite sure of.

"Can I come in?"

"I-oh! Ah…Ah…" Emma stared at him with wide eyes, looking for all the world as if her grip on the edge of her desk were the only thing keeping her from bolting. "I-I…yes, of course, come in-" she caught herself nodding overzealously and quickly cut the movement.

"Is everything okay?" Will asked, hesitant, picking up on Emma's own hesitation as he took a step into the room and eased unsurely into his usual chair across from her desk.

Emma stared at him.

"I…fine. Everything's fine." It was almost comical the way her gaze widened as she said this. Will looked on apprehensively. "W-Why wouldn't it be?"

"You're acting strange," Will confessed honestly, smiling as if to play it off, "Hey," his hopeful tone forced her to look up at him, "Thanks for the coffee this morning."

"Oh," Emma nodded, "Coffee, yes. Coffee…It was just coffee," she insisted, as if it were something else entirely and she was trying to convince him the opposite.

Will chuckled.

"Well, thanks," he said again, tilting his head to peer curiously into his lunch bag. "Wow, you packed cookies," he exclaimed, pulling them out and looking happily up at her.

Emma nodded, gaze wide once again.

"…Chocolate chip," she noted quietly, almost as an afterthought.

"My favorite." Will pushed bravely on with the conversation, though he knew now that something was definitely bothering her.

Emma bowed her head, ruffling through the papers on her desk. She couldn't make herself look up at him for reasoning she couldn't quite make sense of. Why now, had it suddenly become so unbearable to go on without Will knowing the truth? The silence was pressing and awkward.

"…Emma," Will spoke quietly, willing her to look up at him, which she did, slowly. His gazed searched over her, hoping to find an answer. "What's bothering you?"

Emma stared, then dropped her gaze to her hands, placing them in her lap.

"Nothing, I guess," she lied begrudgingly, her voice subdued. There was a ringing stillness in her office. Someone was being paged over the scratchy intercom in the hall, but Emma hardly noticed. It bothered Will that Emma seemed to be holding back; he wanted so badly to reach out and comfort her; tuck the stray piece of hair that was forever falling out of place behind her ear and whisper reassurances for only her to hear. He settled for an admittance:

"Emma…" Will spoke after what seemed like forever, his tone serious, "I want to be there for you…Like you've been there for me…"

"You are there," Emma insisted in a small voice, her hands twisting in her lap.

Will took a deep breath and plowed forward, surprising even himself:

"I want to be there…more than that."

Emma's head snapped up and her gaze found his. Her eyes searched his face; for a moment she thought she had misheard, until he spoke again:

"I just left my wife, Em."

"I know," Emma whispered. She knew her feelings were selfish and bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Will insisted, leaning forward in his seat, "Emma, you mean…more to me than I've ever been able to admit."

...Emma realized she had forgotten to exhale and released her breath on a shaky, uncertain smile.

* * *

_AN: Thanks to everyone that has reviewed. I have a favor: If you favorite or add this story to your alert list, could you at least take a second to leave a review? It would be greatly appreciated :)_


	11. Chapter 11

Emma stood shoulder to shoulder with Will in the kitchen of her apartment, smiling to herself as she chopped vegetables carefully. Will hummed along to a song on the radio; which, if fact, had turned out to reside up on top of the refridgerator as he had first envisioned, all those weeks ago. So little time had passed, and yet, so much had changed for the both of them. Will had ended up back at his apartment at the end of that fateful week three months ago, feeling small and lonely, as Terry had stripped most of their possessions from the home they had once shared.

He was terrified for a good time after his return to his lonely residence: relearning how to live without the person he had spent the last ten years of his life beside while simultaneously navigating the ropes of taking a relationship from friendly to romantic with Emma was, at times, overwhelming. Never before had he needed more the comfort of another; her touch, her soft reassurances, her sweet smile…but Will was determined to make something that lasted with Emma by giving them a real shot. Fairly, Emma had agreed; even being the one to suggest they focus their efforts on their jobs and Glee until his divorce was final. Will, more than anything, had had the most trouble those first months. He had been given a second chance, a chanced to create something with Emma, and not allowing themselves to charge recklessly and passionately forward towards that dream was a daily struggle.

To say she was dating Will now was a bit of an overstatement: Emma was careful to keep things slow. The counselor in her knew that it was best for Will to adjust and resolve to dealing with things on his own before they rushed headlong into something too serious. It was as if she had been told that her greatest wish would be granted, but only on the self-imposed condition that the road to that wish would be played out in slow motion. So they weren't dating, per say. It was more like their friendship had intensified with long overdue honesty: every touch was purposeful now, every smile genuine and unabashed. They talked for hours: about Glee, Will's now-routine weekend visits with his parents, and their plans for the future. Things were simple and sweet between them; immune even to the snide judgment of Sue in the faculty lounge.

Will's divorce had been finalized a week ago; Terri had begrudged signing the papers and had drawn it out an extra three weeks, much to the frustration of Will. She had finally signed when Will had insisted that -after everything she had lied about- she owed it to be truthful to herself and admit that their marriage was over. On the phone that night, Will had told Emma honestly and freely that he was saddened that something he had been so invested in for so long had failed him, but that he could never regret what it had led him to. Emma had blushed, pushing the phone tighter to her ear, and assured him that she was there for him, whatever he needed.

He had confessed to her that she had given him anything he could ever require…the promise of a future together.

* * *

Will has kissed her three nights after that conversation on the phone; light and delicate and sweet. Emma's lips itched with the lingering feeling of his mouth on hers; her hands shook and she stuttered to a halt, blushing furiously. Whatever she had been saying was not nearly as interesting as the act Will had just committed. Two days later, she had accompanied the Glee Club alongside him to Regionals. They had lost…to both Aural Intensity and Vocal Adrenaline (much to Rachel's dismay), coming in third out of three.

Afterwards, Emma had pulled Will close to her in the parking lot beside the rumbling schoolbus waiting to take them back to Lima and sweetly kissed away his disappointment, promising him next year, when they'd be even better prepared for what they were up against. She'd argued that the choice of Aural Intensity as second place was a total scam, and Will had silently wondered how there would _be_ a next year, thinking of his agreement with Figgins and resolving to the notion that the fate of New Directions was sealed.

The following Monday, as Will descended the stairs outside of the front office at a quick trot, dreading his talk with Figgins and the smug righteousness he was sure to endure as the principal told him that Glee was over, he had frozen in his tracks. Emma's voice carried through the glass wall of Figgin's office, indignant and vengeful. Before his eyes, their discussion quickly escalated from raised voices to -on Emma's part- shrill yelling. Will stared in disbelief as she hollered tyrannically at the small man, her tiny hands balled into tight fists, looking for all the world as if she were going to cry and simultaneously throw a punch. Turning sharply on one heel, Emma threw one last accusation over her shoulder before pulling open the office door so forcefully it bounced on its hinges. The force of the motion caused it to slam shut behind her, but she barely flinched as she paused for a moment to collect herself, exhaling and smoothing the wrinkles from her skirt before striding curtly off, head held high.

Will stared after her.

The next day, Figgins congratulated Will on the good news.

…Glee Club was reinstated.

* * *

Now three months had passed and the school year was slowly drawing to a close. It was quite common, in recent weeks, for Will to spend the evening at Emma's apartment after his afternoon Spanish tutoring class or Glee rehearsal, making dinner and watching a movie. Their kisses were careful: sometimes on the cheek, but more and more often on the mouth and always loaded with desires that they both worked very hard to withhold. These simple evenings were a coveted treasure to Will; just the opportunity to sit across from her, watch her smile and dip her head shyly as they laughed and talked about one another's day helped satiate his craving for her presence.

Emma chopped vegetables and Will glanced over at her with a smile, performing a double take when he saw the smile that rested, almost unconsciously, on her own lips.

"What is it?" he asked curiously, gazing down at her. Emma's fingers worked nimbly on top of the cutting board, separating the sliced zucchini from the whole pieces.

"What?" she questioned, smiling up at him, her eyes wondering as she searched his expression.

"You're smiling," Will chuckled, and Emma realized that he was right; she had been smiling so widely her cheeks hurt.

"Nothing, I guess," she blushed, turning to scrape the finely chopped veggies into a pan, "...Just happy."

Will looked at her.

"Yeah?" he wondered, pleased. Emma dusted off her hands and reached for the sponge. She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

"Yes," she answered, moving to set the temperature on the oven.

"I'm happy too," Will conceded, a content smile pulling up the edges of his mouth.

Emma's grin was unfaltering as she answered:

"Good-" she reached past him to twist the volume up on the radio as the opening chords of 'Banana Pancakes' strummed out of the speakers and filled the kitchen.

'_Well can't you see that it's just raining? _

_There ain't no need to go outside-But baby _

_You hardly even notice _

_When I try to show you _

_This song is meant to keep ya_

_From doing what you're supposed to _

_Like waking up too early_

_Maybe we can sleep in_

_I'll make you banana pancakes _

_Pretend like it's the weekend now…'_

Will smiled and sang the lyrics along with the radio:

'_And we can pretend it all the time, yeah-_

_Can't you see that it's just raining?_

_There ain't no need to go outside'_

He chuckled, causing Emma to glance up from her task in wonderment.

"What is it?" Emma queried, his smile contagious. "What's so funny?"

"Just thinking," Will supplied, giving a slight shrug, his grin widening, "Of you…making me pancakes…"

Emma blushed and giggled, unembarrassed. She knew Will wasn't being mean.

"Well -oh gosh- I tried!" she insisted adorably, a touch of her accent lacing her words as Will stepped forward placed his hands on her hips. Emma's breath stilled.

"You did," Will agreed, charmed. His fingers flexed lightly against her waist, as if settling in to the feel of her, and Emma stared up at him, eyes huge.

"Will…"

"Emma…" Will returned in the same serious tone. Smoothing his hands down to her hips bones, he lifted her up and deposited her carefully on the countertop in one smooth movement. She was level with him now, eye to eye. His gaze traveled across her features before rising to meet her own, and Emma's breath hitched in her chest. He leaned in closer to her, his breath on her neck, and he tilted his head slightly and inhaled the sweet scent of her, touching a finger to one of her curls. Emma's heart pounded and her head swirled in anticipation of Will's next touch. Bracing a hand to either side of her on the countertop, Will leaned in so that his lips were mere inches from her own.

Emma forgot to breath as Will gazed at her, silently asking for permission before -slowly- moving to claim Emma's mouth in a tender kiss. She relished the feel of his mouth on hers, savoring the taste of him as he deepened the kiss slightly. She kissed him back, her tongue slipping into his mouth to meet his own before she even realized she had done it, one hand snaking up to weave her fingers in his curls.

They stayed like that for a minute -not long enough- before Will pulled back, placing one last chaste kiss to her lips, leaving Emma in hazy stupor, feeling very nearly drunk with longing. They had never let themselves kiss like that before. Will grinned bemusedly at her wide-eyed expression, and offered her a hand down from the countertop.

'…_Maybe we can sleep in_

_I'll make you banana pancakes, _

_Pretend like it's the weekend, now' _


	12. Chapter 12

Emma applied the finishing touches to her makeup and paused, pulling back to gaze silently at herself in the mirror. She took in her bright red hair, big eyes and too-thin frame. _What did Will see in her…?_ She couldn't believe how lucky she was; everything she had wanted for so long was coming true. She had _Will…_unhindered, with nothing to hold them back and everything to look forward to. Their decision to take things slowly had been a smart yet torturous decision, especially with having spent the first six weeks of their summer break apart...

Will had been invited to teach a summer program at a small fine arts school in Cincinnati shortly after Regionals. Apparently, while they had not placed, the director of the program was impressed with the underdog, come-from-behind quality of the New Directions and had put Will's name out there for the bid. Will was ecstatic, of course, and while the prospect of spending most of their summer vacation away from each other did not thrill either one of them, they had both agreed that this could be a good thing. Will was recently divorced -Emma herself had suggested that they proceed slowly- and it was a great opportunity for Will and his prospects for Glee Club. Besides, as he had assured her the night before he left, his gaze hopeful, her hands clasped in his:

"_We've got all the time in the world, Em." _

Emma believed in Will's words, hard as it was to be without him. And so she had allowed him to pull her back against him on the couch, and press a reassuring kiss to her temple, and talk her through his itinerary for the next six weeks. It would fly by, he'd promised, but he would miss her every day. They had talked and laughed well into the late hours of the night. They owed it to each other to do things right.

They had all the time in the world.

* * *

Dressed in a light, summery dress that left her freckled shoulders bare, Emma took a last look in the mirror before pulling the door to her condo closed behind her and locking up. She had been the one to take him to the airport six weeks ago, and they had agreed to meet at the baggage claim on the first floor for their long anticipated reunion. The nearest airport from tiny Lima was forty five minutes away, and Emma drove eagerly, inching her foot forward and applying a little more pressure to the gas pedal. She listened to the homemade, seven-song Acafella's CD that she had purchased from Will's father all those months ago -it seemed like forever now- and thought of her most recent conversation with the man whose perfectly keyed voice was currently flowing smoothly through her speakers:

"…_I miss you," Emma admitted quietly. _

'_I miss you too, Em. God, you have no idea," Will insisted passionately. "You would love seeing some of the stuff we've put together-"_

"_I bet-"_

"_Every time they perform I think of how supportive you are for Glee-these kids are great, but-I miss New Directions," Will admitted wishfully. "…I wish you were here, Em."_

"_Two more days," Emma reminded. Though she would never admit this, she had been diligently marking the days on her desk calendar until his return._

"_Beside the baggage claim," Will promised. _

"_Beside the baggage claim," Emma echoed resolutely. _

_

* * *

_

They reunited next to circling piles of traveler's luggage as promised. Anticipation lit up Emma's features, while Will's own face looked renewed and happy. Gone from beneath his eyes were the dark circles gained from a marriage ended by deceit; his smile was genuine and elated as he pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss into her hair, hugging her to him. He toted his suitcase and a bouquet of flowers..'from the gift shop' he'd admitted bashfully. But Emma didn't care where they had come from -they were from _him- _and assured Will they were beautiful.

They drove back to Lima, Will turned eagerly towards her in the passenger seat, asking her questions about her summer, the mid-break faculty meeting he'd missed, and whether she had seen any of the kids from Glee. Emma felt as though she had never been as happy as she was on that drive back to Will's apartment. She couldn't stop smiling -Will was regaling her with stories from his time spent away- eliciting incredulous giggles from Emma that made Will's stomach squirm with adoration for the woman sitting beside him.

They still had four weeks of their summer left to enjoy before they were due back for faculty meetings and preparatory classes two weeks before the official start of term. That was four weeks of making up for missed time, spent in one others' company. Even the two weeks during which all of the teachers prepped for the return of students would feel like a vacation without after-school tutoring, Glee Club, and detentions to supervise. Will couldn't recall if he had ever been happier than on that return drive from the airport. Emma's cheeks were flushed with the thrill of his company; her smell tantalized him, her laugh, her voice…her smile. Her bare shoulders showed signs of a leisurely summer, sun kissed and dotted with freckles. More than once Will caught himself staring at her in awe.

Emma found an old vase in Will's kitchen, cleaned it out and put her flowers from Will in water while he carried in his luggage, depositing it in the entryway. Taking a deep breath, she stepped delicately back into the foyer where he stood, her expression timid. Will sensed her come up behind him and straightened, allowing his gaze to travel up her small frame and to her face, her expression unreadable. They stood still like this for a moment, their chests rising and falling evenly. Finally -it could have been forever to Emma- Will dropped his keys into the bowl by the door and slowly stepped towards her, closing the distance between them. Emma kept her hands down at her sides, staring doe-eyed at him as though frozen, waiting for further inclination on his part. Six weeks had passed, and although she had indulged in many fantasies about the man standing before her during that time, they had been struggling to keep things slow and careful before his departure, balanced on that awkward line between close friends and couple. The silence in the foyer was deafening, Will's every exhale was registered in Emma's brain and reminded her to breath as well. She inhaled shakily and waited for him to clear the last eight inches of space between them.

When he did, it was worth the wait. Will didn't need to ask permission -Emma was standing before him waiting only for him to make the first move- but always the gentleman, he silently asked for her okay, his eyes traveling once down to her lips and back up again.

Emma nodded.

Will cleared those last eight inches in one step, bringing a gentle hand up to Emma's chin and angling her head back so that he could kiss her: sweetly and carefully at first but with a hidden fire that ignited something in Emma's stomach - something thrilling. Emma felt the fingers of his other hand weave gently into the curls at the base of her neck and she opened her mouth to his kiss, sighing into his touch as he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

They kissed like this for a moment: silent but with an intensity that stoked the new-found fire in the pit of Emma's stomach. She leaned further into his kiss, reaching up to twine her arms around his neck, sighing his name. Will kissed her deeply, then eased the pressure of his lips on hers and kissed her sweetly, and then deeply again. It made Emma's head spin, and she found herself pressed up tightly against him, almost without realization. Will's hands fell to her shoulders; they skimmed lightly down her arms -making Emma shiver- before traveling to her hips and settling there. Emma liked the feel of his hands there -so close to the eager flame doing flips in her stomach- and so she showed him she liked it by pressing her hips to his own.

Will let out his breath in one surprised _whoosh_- startling Emma. She let her hands fall away from his neck and come to rest protectively on his chest. His heart thudded rapidly beneath her fingers and she looked up at him questioningly, worried she had done something wrong.

"Emma…" Will's voice was low and slightly hoarse, and Emma followed his embarrassed, begrudging glance down to the front of his pants and blushed furiously at the result of her actions.

"Oh."

"I'm sorry…" Will apologized, "Emma, I'm sorry-"

Emma stared at his chest, unable to make herself meet his gaze. Her own chest rose and fell quickly, but the tingling feeling in her lower stomach was still there.

"Emma…"

She took a step closer to him and looked up briefly, her eyes searching his worried expression before resting a finger carefully against his lips. She held it there for a moment before standing up to press a kiss to the spot where her finger had just been, letting her other hand snake back up to wrap around his neck.

"Em…" Will hesitated, unsure, as Emma pressed another kiss to his lips, then another, lightly, this time on the corner of his mouth. Finally, she pulled back, and the resolution in her eyes made Will's heart pound.

"Will."

"You're sure?" Will seemed to fight an internal battle for a moment before repeating himself, "Emma? You're sure?"

Emma glanced down at his obvious excitement and then pulled her gaze up to look at him from beneath her soft eyelashes.

She nodded.

* * *

Will hoisted Emma and carried her fireman-style in his bedroom, his heart thudding with nerves and his head dizzy with anticipation. Depositing her gently onto the edge of the bed, he took a deep breath and allowed his gaze to settle into her wide brown eyes. Emma bit her lip and nodded encouragingly, sitting up a bit on her elbow, and Will exhaled slowly and let his glance travel down past her waist to the exposed skin of her legs. He rubbed the back of his hand down from the hem of her dress and against the smoothness of her calf, traveling until he reached her soft yellow pumps. He removed them carefully, one by one, and lined them up at the foot of his bed, his hands shaking slightly, before rising and capturing Emma's lips in a loving kiss.

Emma responded, reaching up to tangle a hand in his curls, gasping as she felt Will's hand travel slowly from the hem of her dress and up her side to brush the peak of her breast through the thin fabric. His touch lingered there, soft and languorous, before he pulled away and pressed a gentle kiss to Emma's forehead, letting his lips rest against her soft skin. His hand found the zipper at the back of her dress- he reached around and toyed with it before slowly pulling it down and slipping it over her shoulders. Emma lifted her hips, allowing him to pull it down and around her legs before carefully slipping it off of her.

'_What I want, you've got _

_And it might be hard to handle_

_But like the flame that burns the candle-_

_The candle feeds the flame'_

Will gasped at the sight of Emma before him. Dressed only in a pretty lace bra and matching panties, she literally took his breath away. She was radiant; her creamy skin dusted with freckles, and Will lowered his head to press kisses to these spots: her arms, her shoulders, before moving lower to kiss her collar bone…her chest. Emma's chest rose and fell shallowly, the smooth skin of her stomach dipped low beneath her ribs as Will move still lower. Emma reached down and found the hem of his t-shirt, drawing it up and off over his head.

'_What I've got, full stock of thoughts _

_And dreams that scatter_

_You pull them all together_

_And how, I can't explain'_

Her hands shook as she reached the waistline of his jeans and fumbled clumsily with the button. Will covered her hands with his own, guiding her movements, releasing them as she pulled the zipper down herself and shrugged them over his hips. His stare found hers and stayed there, in her wide gaze, as he pulled his jeans the rest of the way off. He was so beautiful, with his strong arms and wide, chiseled chest. Emma swallowed, reaching up to run her hands over the wide plains of his chest and back to the sculpted expanse of muscle in his shoulders and back. Will dipped his head to reclaim her mouth in a kiss and Emma passionately responded, her touch light as she trailed her nails up his back and moved to wrap her arms around his neck. Without breaking the kiss, Will pulled her up with one arm, wrapping a hand around her waist and expertly unclasping her bra with a twist of the other in one smooth movement. Emma gasped into his mouth and blushed heavily as it fell away from her, revealing to Will a sight more heavenly than he could ever have wished for.

'_But you,  
_

_You make my dreams come true'_

"Emma…" Her name sounded soft and full of wonder on his tongue as his lips broke contact with her own and he stared down at her, "You're beautiful…"

"I'm nothing special," Emma admitted quietly, unable to meet his gaze.

"You're beyond special," Will insisted direly, cupping her cheek in his hand and directing her gaze so that he was looking into her eyes as he continued, "...You're amazing."

"Will-"

"I love you."

Emma's heart rate tripled at his words. She dipped her head in astonishment, sure that he had misspoken. His fingers threaded through her hair before moving down to stroke her cheek softly. Will wanted her to see herself the way he saw her. He wanted her to love herself the way he loved her…and so he settled on the truth:

"I've loved you for…a long time now. And I've never had the courage or the right to say it," he admitted freely. "But it's the truth...I love you, Emma Pillsbury."

Emma stared up at him, tears forming in her eyes as she absorbed Will's declaration. She pulled him tight to her, her arm around his neck, and buried her face in his shoulder.

"I love you too, Will Schuester."

_'On a night when bad dreams become a screamer-_

_When they're messin' with the dreamer_

_I can laugh it in the face'_

_'Twist and shout, my way out_

_And wrap yourself around me_

_'Cause I ain't the way you found me_

_I'll never be the same'_

Their remaining articles of clothing were removed easily now, as if the solution to some long unsolved problem had finally become available to them. Will pressed kisses to Emma's face, her lips…her breasts. She gasped when he took one of her nipples into his mouth and teased it with his tongue. She ran her hands through his curls as he moved lower, hooking a finger into her panties and pulling them away as she did the same with his boxers. Emma took in the sight before her; the shock of seeing a man completely naked was simultaneously lessened because it was Will, and heightened…because it was _Will. _He looked up at her, his gaze steady and unwavering, and waited for her okay to proceed.

Emma nodded.

'_Well 'cause you-_

_You make my dreams come true_

_I'm down on the daydream,_

_That sleepwalk should be over by now'_

Will pressed a kiss to her hip bone and slipped a gentle finger inside of her. Emma gasped with the feel of it and squirmed a bit, unable to stop the blush that crept slowly up her features as Will continued his ministrations, kissing his way up to her belly button before working his way back down to her other hip. His finger moved slowly in and out of her, and Emma felt the fire in her stomach unfurl into a hungry blaze. Will continued the motion, eliciting a tiny, breathy moan from Emma, one that made his rock hard attraction for her throb with want.

Moving up her body now, he continued to kiss every beautiful inch of her, his finger still working steadily inside of her until he could claim her lips with his own again and move a supporting hand to either side of her body, positioning himself carefully at her entrance. Emma's hips bucked at the absence of his finger, and Will paused, his gaze filled with trepidation.

"You're sure?" he asked worriedly. "If you're not ready-"

"I'm sure," Emma insisted, cupping his face with her hands and kissing him gently, "I'm ready, Will."

Will nodded, exhaling nervously and moving to spread her legs a little wider.

"You're beautiful," he promised, and slowly entered her. She gasped and gripped the sheets on either side of him tightly, her hand balled into fists. "I love you. You're so beautiful," Will let the words drop out of his mouth, each one a reassuring promise devoted to easing her pain. He lowered himself a little further until he was halfway inside of her and then stilled as she whimpered, his heart hammering.

"Emma-"

"Don't stop."

"Em-"

"Don't stop," Emma commanded, her eyes shut tightly, voice low, "Keep going, Will-"

Will hesitated. He wanted to pull out of her and gather her up in his arms. He wanted to apologize for hurting her and promise that it would never, ever, happen again. He opened his mouth, torn between continuing and insisting that they put an end to her pain. He debated this for a moment, but it seemed Emma would make the decision for him:

She opened her eyes and rolled her hips up to meet his, a look of determination upon her delicate features. Will's breath was forced from his lungs in surprise and he very nearly came right then.

"Emma-" her name fell from his lips as a choked exclamation, his desire close to uncontrollable. She moved stubbornly to do it again and Will quickly held her hips down…_Boy, she was going to keep him on his toes. _A moment passed. Will's chest heaved with surprise as he struggled to rein himself in. He captured her lips in passionate kiss and slowly released the grip he kept on her, wanting to be as gentle as possible, and he lowered himself a little further, entering her entirely. A single, quick tear rolled down Emma's cheek and he caught it with a kiss, pressing the pad of his thumb to the spot as he pulled back to survey her.

"I'm okay," Emma insisted, reopening her eyes, and Will nodded.

The fire in Emma's stomach raged uncontrollably with feelings of pain and pleasure as Will began to move inside of her, his hips coming into contact with her own again as he rocked slowly and carefully against her. _So this was what all the fuss was about…_Emma didn't know if this was how sex always was or if it was because it was sex with Will, but she soon forgot to wonder as her pain was slowly and steadily overtaken by pleasure. Will smiled down at her knowingly as she weathered the transition, determined to hold himself off for as long as possible. A minute passed. He knew it was time when Emma began to meet his gentle movements with her own, rising up to mirror his thrusts. It sent shivers of pleasure through his body, and Will moaned, entering her a little deeper and a little harder than before.

When Emma came she shook around him, a perfect release of pleasure and love for the man above her. Her nails dug into the broad expanse of muscle just below his shoulders, and Will thrust a final time before giving in to his own shuddering release. They sighed in unison. Will was on top of the world; he supported himself on his forearms and cradled Emma's face in his hands, pressing his lips to her own.

"Thank you..."

They spoke in unison, too. Lovingly.

'_I know-_

_Well you,_

_You make my dreams come true'_


	13. Chapter 13

The start of the new school year did not go well for Will or Emma either one. They had spent a languorous six weeks together, alternating their time between Emma's condo and Will's apartment. They cooked, spent hours walking hand in hand in the park, and made it through nearly three-fourths of the local video rental's collection of classic musicals. They spent very little time apart, growing ever closer.

Emma had thanked Will, the first time they made love, for his patience, for the special way he made her feel…for his love. The first time Will made love to Emma, he had pressed a kiss to her lips, inhaled her sweet scent, and thanked _her_. For giving herself to him. For choosing him…For making him feel whole again.

They made love now under the most genuine of circumstances; not just because they _could,_ but because it _meant _something. Emma had never felt as close to Will as when he held her in his arms after they had both found their release; Will fit her like a missing piece, and when they came together, each one patiently holding off for the other, Emma saw stars. They were progressing steadily towards a future together, taking each day as it came.

The first day of school drew steadily near, arriving abruptly on a hot, dry Monday at the end of August. Emma had been feeling sick for a few days and had passed out late into the night, unable to settle without the feeling of Will's arms around her...He had spent the last weekend of the summer two towns away at his parent's house for a celebratory dinner honoring his father, who was entering his second year of law school. Lying in bed alone, Emma regretted turning down Will's invitation to accompany him in lieu of resting in preparation for their first day back to school, hoping that she would feel better by Monday. Will would be getting back late and was staying at his own apartment that night, something that rarely happened anymore. Emma wrapped her arms around herself, lonely without him. She debated calling him, but felt too queasy to move to retrieve her phone. When she finally drifted off -sometime around one in the morning- she slept heavily and woke late, arriving ten minutes late to McKinley and missing both the morning announcements and her pre-first period interaction with Will.

The rest of her day followed a similar theme. Students filed in and out of her office all morning; by lunchtime Emma was so behind and bothered by the need to sanitize every germy surface of her office that she could barely concentrate as Will found her fifteen minutes into their lunch period and plopped down at his usual chair to eat his sandwich. She asked him about the visit to his parents' as she wiped down every pencil in her pencil holder, then proceeded to disinfect the door handle on her office door for the third time.

Emma's anxiety, combined with the thin, queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach was quite debilitating; she spent the afternoon organizing schedule data as students were referred to her office for switching and trading out elective and prerequisite courses. The majority of last period was spent calming a girl in tears whose boyfriend had moved away over the summer. As the final bell rang, a harried-looking Will leaned his head in to remind Emma that Glee was meeting in the choir room to discuss their rehearsal schedule for the new year. Emma nodded absently, hair falling into her face as she bent to mark a notation in a student's file, and promised that she would see him back at her condo for dinner.

* * *

Will's first day back had been strained, to say the least. He had indulged in a glass or two of scotch with his father the night before -an unusual occurrence- and when he got back to his apartment he slept fitfully without Emma. He ran late in the morning, barely making it to his first period Spanish I class before the bell. The first half of his day was devoted to walking each of his classes through their syllabus and making sure everyone had a textbook for the semester signed out in his or her name. He had communicated with Emma through a brief email after first period- she had not been in her office when he had hurried past this morning- and she penned a short reply, explaining her tardiness and asking if he minded coming to her office today for lunch instead of eating in the faculty lounge.

During his free period, Will was called to Principal Figgins' office, where he was told that they had a new student transfer who was interested in Glee Club. This caused Will to perk up and left him encouraged and looking forward to his after-school meeting with New Directions. He made time to drop by Emma's office -finding her in nearly the same position he had left her in after lunch- to fill her in and offer to make dinner at her condo that evening.

His day took a decided turn for the worse upon arriving at the choir room. Matt had transferred to a new school over the summer, which disappointed Will. Matt had been a strong dancer, always easily picking up on the choreography, and Will had been hoping to increase the size of Glee Club with their potential new member rather than match the bottom line for members needed.

Next, Santana had strolled in late and taken her place beside Puck, turning casually to greet Quinn:

"Hello, Slut."

Apparently -Will learned later- Quinn and Santana had had a jealous falling out over the summer, in which Santana had accused Quinn of wanting Puck for her own, though she no longer had the whole 'baby daddy' claim to him.

Quinn was out of her seat before Will had a chance to react, grabbing a firm hold of Santana's ponytail and yanking her head back to hiss that she had no interest in Puck-though, she'd insisted airily, she could have him if she wanted. This had set Santana off, who launched from her own chair and shoved Quinn backwards to the ground, scattering the rest of Glee in the process. Quinn pushed herself up off the floor and was moving towards Santana for another round before Puck grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back, while Will did the same to Santana.

Chests heaving, the girls screamed at each other, trying in vain to clear the space between them even as Will and Puck pulled them further apart. Santana struggled violently against Will's grasp and he circled his arms tighter, his own voice raising as he yelled for calm. Santana had turned and stalked out of the choir room as the beginnings of a lecture spewed from Will's lips. The atmosphere was decidedly unfocused in her absence, and they spent the next half hour hashing out a practice schedule and arguing over song choices for the back to school Invitational.

The new kid never showed.

* * *

It was close to six when Will arrived at Emma's condo. He had gathered that her day had not been the greatest, especially because she not been feeling well these last few days, and he adjusted the bouquet of flowers he had picked up to boost her spirits as he knocked on the door. He hummed a quiet tune, and though he could see the glow of a lamp from the window, Emma did not answer his knock. He tried the handle, then bent to retrieve her spare key from its hiding place and let himself in.

"Emma?" he spoke hesitantly, allowing his gaze to wander. Her purse sat on the table beside the door in its usual place, but the kitchen was dark, the living room unoccupied. He took a step further into the foyer and set her flowers down, heading for the hall and Emma's bedroom.

"Em?" A faint light leaked out from beneath the door and Will knocked gently before pushing it open. Her bedroom was dark, and he followed the source of the light to the bathroom, its door slightly ajar and spreading a yellow glow across the immaculate white carpet.

He found her bent weakly over the toilet, emptying the contents of her stomach into the basin.

"Oh, Em…"

Will moved to retrieve a washcloth from the rack on the wall and wet it, wringing it out and crouching to her level to pull her hair away from her neck and press it against her clammy skin.

"I'm here, you're okay…"

Emma's miserable sob turned into a dry heave and she bent further over the toilet, gripping Will's hand as she choked, her stomach clenching dryly.

"Will…" she managed, another round of tears rolling unhappily down her cheeks, "Please…just go. This is- so d-disgusting-I d-don't want you to see me like this…"

"Emma, hey…" Will comforted, "Hey…you're gonna be alright. And I'm not leaving you like this-"

"P-Please, Will-"

"You're sick, Em," he soothed, "And you're not disgusting, you're beautiful."

Emma bit her lip and palmed away her tears as Will ran his fingers through her curls, moving to flush the toilet.

"...Are you finished?" Will asked hesitantly, noting her pallid complexion and offering her a hand as she tried to stand.

Emma nodded and allowed him to help her shakily to her feet, reaching immediately for the mouthwash and her toothbrush. She gripped the sink as another wave of nausea washed over her and breathed deeply; the first of a fresh set of tears leaked from beneath her lashes and rolled tellingly down her cheek as Will rubbed her back and preparedly lifted the lid of the toilet, unsure.

"I'm okay-" Emma croaked after a moment, when she was sure she could open her mouth again. She shuddered. "I need to shower…"

"Okay," Will complied quickly, moving to start the water. His mind whirred, but he kept his thoughts to himself as he positioned Emma's unsteady grip on his shoulders, letting her support herself against him as he undid her zipper and bent to remove her skirt, helping her to step out of it. Her top came off over her head, mussing her hair, leaving her in a simple white bra that cradled her heaving breasts as she took careful, concentrated breaths, determined not to be sick again. Will turned to retrieve a fresh towel as Emma freed the clasp on her bra and slipped out of her panties.

"Thank you, Will."

Emma's voice was quiet and defeated as he helped her into the shower and then moved to clean up while she stood beneath the stream of hot water, letting it soothe her tired body. Will picked up her clothes and deposited them in the laundry basket, then bent to retrieve the cleaner from under the sink and squirted some into the toilet, diligently scrubbing the brush around the bowl until it too looked immaculate.

* * *

Will got Emma settled on the couch while he relocated to the kitchen to make an easy dinner. The sounds of _My Fair Lady_ drifted from the living room, reaching his ears and reminding him of the time he had danced with Emma in her almost-wedding dress. He placed her flowers in the same vase Emma had used the day she had picked him up from the airport and set them on the kitchen table for her to enjoy when she was feeling better.

His thoughts were a jumbled mess of uncertainty, his mind on overdrive as he chopped carrots and celery for chicken noodle soup. He checked on Emma every few minutes, leaning into the living room to make sure that she was still curled up on the couch and not getting sick over the toilet again.

Music was trilling from the television when he crossed the living room with a plate of toast and sat down on the edge of the couch.

"I've got some toast for you," Will offered, tucking a stray curl, still damp from the shower, behind her ear, "If you think you can stomach it."

Emma pushed herself into a sitting position and snuggled against him, and Will passed her the plate of toast and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she nibbled at its naked, crust-free edge.

"Thank you," Emma smiled and took a tentative, slightly bigger bite. Will pressed a kiss to her hair, inhaling the soft scent of her conditioner. He pretended to be watching the movie, wondering how he would broach the topic that had ignited as a tiny spark within his mind and had soon engulfed and consumed his every thought like a rogue flame.

He pushed himself up off the couch a while later to check the pot on the stove before rejoining Emma, gently settling himself in beside her.

"I made soup. Chicken noodle," he explained, "It's supposed to be good for when you're sick." His hand reached up and stroked Emma's soft curls as her brow furrowed and she pursed her lips.

"That's just it," she spoke, after a moment, sitting up slightly, "I don't _feel _sick. I'm not achy. I don't have a fever-"

Will turned his attention back to the television, gazing at it blankly. His heart thudded as tried to work up the courage to broach the subject:

"Emma…" he spoke casually, carefully keeping his eyes trained on the screen, "Do you...Could you..."

"What, Will?"

"…Could you be pregnant?"

Will couldn't help it. He tore his gaze away from the television to see her reaction. She looked as if he had just slapped her across the face.

"I…I ah…" she pulled away from him and scrambled up, stumbling backwards, "No."

"But Em-"

"No," Emma shook her head determinedly, moving farther backwards as Will stood and made to go to her. "Will, please-" she gripped the arm of the couch, wanting to go back to her content, oblivious mindset in which she wasn't piecing all of her symptoms together and landing at the same conclusion as Will.

"I just thought-"

"I-I-uh, I'm on the pill."

"You are?" Will couldn't help it, his heart sank a little.

"Yes," Emma nodded hugely, her eyes wide. "Yes, yes I am. I um-" Will frowned as her eyes pooled with tears and she shook her head curtly, "It just isn't- it's not possible, Will."

"It could be possible," Will insisted, knowing the odds but still feeling oddly, inappropriately hopeful, "It could be-"

"No, Will." Emma back away and wrapped her arms around herself, wishing he had never suggested it, "No," she shook her head, "No."

"Emma-"

"No." Emma laid her fingers against her mouth, feeling suddenly sick with realization. The first tear escaped from her wide gaze and she shook her head, in denial of his reasoning. "No, no, no, no, no" she whispered. "…No."

..._Yes. _

_

* * *

_

_AN: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, it means a lot! Like it? Not a fan? I won't know unless you tell me... :)_


	14. Chapter 14

Emma was on the pill. The lady pill. As in, birth control. She had spent the better part of a day the week after Will had left for Cincinnati pouring over information on various brands, comparing side effects and reading reviews online before calling the local clinic and making an appointment. The very idea of it made Emma blush. It was silly, really…hopeful and terribly revealing when it came to what she anticipated happening with Will. She didn't know how it would happen or when. She only knew that she wanted it to be Will.

And so she had preparedly filled her prescription.

She took it at the same time everyday as the instructions had directed. She had told Will she was on the pill when they had half-heartedly stumbled through an embarrassing conversation about birth control after they first made love. In hindsight, that particular conversation should have probably come prior. However, Emma was on the pill. They were ninety-nine percent covered.

Emma silently cursed that haphazard, unsecured remaining one percent as a sob jerked from her throat, every oppressed emotion from the past week coming to fruition simultaneously:

The end of a perfect summer spent with Will…

…The beginnings of a year filled with emotionally unstable, slushy-throwing students.

The endless piles of paperwork that -after only the first day back- already crowded her desk.

Feeling sick.

Throwing up.

Emma's thoughts were a jumbled mess and her stomach churned.

"I…Will…" she stared at him hopelessly, her eyes wide and fearful. "I-I…"

"Hey," Will took a step forward and forced his expression not to betray the hurt he felt when she stumbled back, startled by his advance. "Hey-" he said again, "Emma…It's gonna be okay-"

"I-I-I can't be…I'm not…I c-can't be-" Emma placed a shaking hand over her mouth to trap the sob that wracked through her body. It came out a pathetic, strangled sort of noise as Will moved purposefully forward again and caught her in his arms, wrapping her in his embrace.

"Sshh, I'm sorry…" he soothed, holding her tight, "I'm sorry Emma, I shouldn't have said anything…" Will moved a protective hand to wind his fingers in her curls, "It was stupid…I'm sorry…"

Will's heart ached at Emma's reaction. He hated himself for feeling hopeful, but from the moment the thought had entered his mind desire had consumed him. A baby was one thing, sure. But a baby with _Emma_…

Will berated himself mentally and pressed a kiss into Emma's hair. The refrain from 'I Could Have Danced All Night' floated around them, filling the living room. He offered Emma his hand and took a seat on the couch, pleased when she allowed herself to settle in beside him.

"I'm sorry," Will mumbled again, noting the way Emma nervously wrung the corner of her cardigan. "I didn't mean to upset you…"

Emma nodded and allowed her gaze to slip back to the movie, attempting to focus. Her stomach clenched distractedly and her mind churned sluggishly. _Why had the idea of a baby been so easy for Will to suggest? _They weren't married; he'd barely been divorced from Terri eight months. Emma just…she thought the idea of a baby would be painful to Will. Something that would take a long time to cross his mind again.

Babies were _messy. _They needed constant care and supervision…they were completely dependant. And Emma couldn't be a _mother. _It took her four semesters of college to decide on a profession, months of research to pick out a car…a good half hour to choose between shampoos in the supermarket when they discontinued her old brand.

When she allowed herself, she envisioned a cherub-cheeked child with bouncy curls. Will's curls.

She seldom allowed herself.

When she did, _how_ exactly the child came to be was conveniently overlooked. It just wasn't possible:

…It would take Emma _years _to warm to the idea of becoming a mother.

* * *

Will risked a sidelong glance at Emma. Though her wide stare lingered on the television screen, he could tell she wasn't really watching the movie. She chewed on her bottom lip, eyes trained forward and unmoving, gaze blank. He hesitated.

"Hey," he murmured, slipping her hand into his own and giving it a gentle squeeze, "You okay?"

At first Will thought she was going to be sick again. His query seemed to spur her into action, and she pushed herself from the couch with a suddenness that startled him.

"Emma-"

She strode across the living room and disappeared down the hall, and Will followed at her heels, concerned.

"Em?"

Emma burst from her bedroom just as Will reached the end of the hall, and he pulled up short, unsure. She had her giant desk calendar in hand; the pages flapping incessantly as she waved it around, eyes crazed as she ranted about cycles and menstruation and something about the full moon.

Will gaped -his mouth slightly open- and raised his hands to shield himself from the sharp-edged pages of September and October as Emma stomped her foot in frustration.

"This _isn't _happening!" Emma insisted, "I can't be-I just-I've been on birth control, Will!"

"Em-"

"I can't-I can't have a baby-" Emma continued dismally, letting the calendar drop dejectedly to her side. "I can't be a _mother_…"

Will's features softened into understanding.

"Emma…is that what this is about?"

"Among other things!"

"What things, Em?"

"Besides the fact that you're recently divorced," Emma huffed indignantly, "We've only been d-dating six m-months, and…A-And we're not _married_-"

Will bowed his head.

"You would be a great mother," he encouraged softly, gently removing the calendar from her grasp and lifting a hand to carefully angle her chin so that her gaze met his own, "Terri is in my past, Emma," he reminded, "And you and I, we're not just dating. You helped me through some of the darkest times in my life. You help me everyday," Will reiterated. "You're my girlfriend. More than that- you're my future, Em…"

Emma's eyes shone with unshed tears and she visibly eased, melting into Will's touch and allowing him to pull her into an embrace. Will felt her hot tears leaking through his shirt and rubbed soothing circles on her back with his free hand.

"Will, I…" Emma managed, unsure.

"What is it, Em?"

"I'm afraid," she admitted, her voice barely a whisper.

Will pulled her closer to him in the shadows of the hallway and pressed a kiss into her hair.

"Don't be," he promised. "...I'll always take care of you, Emma."

* * *

The following day, the final bell rang and Will slung his bag over his shoulder, the ball of nerves settled in the pit of his stomach clenching a little tighter. He had talked Emma into going to bed early last night…Laying down and patting the space beside him, he had tucked her in his arms and mumbled reassurances into her ear until he felt her relax, and finally drift into slumber…

What would come would come. And when it did, they would get through it together.

He had convinced her to wait. They would do it together. _It _being an at-home pregnancy test. Emma shuddered at the idea of having to pee on a stick. The idea of a solidified truth and not just a possibility _terrified_ her. They were in this together, Will promised unfailingly. As many times as she needed to hear it, he said it.

Emma had been quiet and jumpy this morning, barely talking to Will and only responding to his attempts at conversation with nervous, one-word answers:

_Yes_, she wanted cream in her coffee.

_No_, she didn't want any oatmeal.

_Yes_, she agreed, they would get the test and take it tonight.

Will detoured down the hall that would take him past Emma's office almost without realization, and frowned as he drew nearer. The windows were dark, the blinds pulled…They had driven separately because Emma, ever prompt, had arranged a student orientation for the SAT prep course she taught every Tuesday evening during the school year. There weren't enough students in trouble yet to warrant the after school detention that Will had been assigned last year -though he was sure it wouldn't take long- so they had driven separately, planning to meet back at Emma's condo to take the test.

The steady hum of voices reached his ears before he rounded the corner of the adjacent wing, and Will's brow furrowed with concern as he saw the students registered for Emma's class milling around outside the classroom door. Will sidled in beside them and peered into the room, which was dark and empty.

"_All _of you are here for SAT prep?" Will queried aloud, impressed with the size of the turnout. He received a flurry of unenthused murmurs and sullenly nodding heads and concluded that most of them were probably being forced to take this class by their parents.

"Where's Ms. Pillsbury?" Will asked the nearest student, and a girl he recognized from his second period Spanish I class flipped her phone shut and sighed.

"We haven't seen her," she explained. "Does that mean we can leave?"

"I…sure," Will agreed distractedly, already pulling out his own phone and hitting the speed dial for her name. He pressed the phone to his ear and headed for the parking lot to check if Emma's car was still there.

He dialed again as her phone went to voicemail.

* * *

Emma had not, as it turned out, waited for him. He found her car in its normal spot outside of her condo and, relieved, put his car into park and pulled the key from the ignition, ducking out and heading up the walkway. Emma's purse was in the entryway next to her shoes, and there was a brown paper bag on the counter in the kitchen. Will's chest constricted tightly when he saw that it was from the pharmacy, and he dropped his bag in the foyer next to Emma's and hurried down the hall, nervously loosening his tie.

"Emma-" his voice was too loud in the silence of her bedroom, and he pulled up short before the bathroom door and took a deep breath, attempting composure.

Will grasped the handle and pushed open the door.

"...Oh my god…Emma...Oh my god..."

Will took a step forward. His heart swelled so that he felt it would burst from his chest, and his eyes pooled with tears. First one, then another slipped down his cheek as he grabbed at one of four objects laid out meticulously on the counter.

A positive pregnancy test.

Will clenched the test in his hand, awed. His tears flowed freely now as he allowed himself to indulge in an old, once-forbidden fantasy: A rosy, red-haired baby wrapped up like a burrito, cradled lovingly in Emma's arms.

Caught up in a wonderful mixture of elation and disbelief, it took him a moment to process the absence of Emma next to him…as he had anticipated it would be had things gone according to plan. He lowered the test and further observed that the water in the shower was running, and through the frosted door saw the hazy, red-haired outline of Emma, sitting beneath the stream of water with her back turned towards the bathroom and her knees hugged tightly to her chest.

"Emma…" Will set the pregnancy test down on the counter and sidled up to the door of the shower, hesitant. "Em…It's gonna be okay," he assured, placing his palm against the shower door. There was silence for a moment except for the steady stream of water running into the bottom of the tub.

"...I wish you would have waited for me," Will admitted quietly.

Emma choked on a sob; it echoed in the small bathroom and Will felt his heart tug achingly toward the sound.

"Em…"

"I couldn't!" Emma admitted shrilly, her voice pitiful and distressed on the other side of the shower door, "Will…I h-had to know!'

"I understand," he conceded. A newly-acquired thrill flickered in Will's chest and he glanced to the pregnancy tests, a smile tugging at his lips as he risked a try at humor: "...Though you may have some explaining to do when it comes to your SAT prep kids."

Silence.

He had just begun to fear he'd said too much when Emma grudgingly reached over and slid the shower door open, looking -to Will- like the most beautiful drowned rat in all the world. She stared up at him sheepishly until Will grinned his familiar, lopsided smile and extended a hand to pull her to her feet.

She accepted, squealing in surprise as he wrapped a towel around her naked body and hoisted her up. She twined her legs around his waist as he cupped her bottom and twirled her around in the small space, a peal of happy laughter escaping from deep within his chest. His features were lit with exuberance…he was beautiful. Emma found herself staring as Will slowed and came to a standstill, his chest rising and falling with each quickened breath. His shirt was pattered with droplets of water that rolled and dripped from the ends of Emma's hair, her chin…Her eyelashes glistened with a mixture of shed tears and a dampness from the shower and she blinked it away rapidly, enraptured by the man that held her.

Emma chewed her bottom lip before taking Will's face gently in her hands and pressing a loving, thankful kiss to his mouth.

* * *

_AN: Thanks to all who reviewed last chapter, it seriously makes my day! _


	15. Chapter 15

It had been a week since the discovery of Emma's pregnancy…a week since Will had delightedly spun her around in the bathroom and Emma had promptly thrown up. Will had apologized profusely, filling a glass with water and readying her toothbrush, offering it to her bashfully as she spit the sour taste from her mouth and raised a hand to flush the toilet.

She was exhausted and her stomach churned unsettlingly. They had gone to bed early for the second night in a row. In the morning, Will was pulled from sleep by sounds of hysteria coming from the bathroom, where he found Emma having a full blown panic attack, a positive pregnancy test from the night before clenched in her tiny fist. Though the perfect pink plus sign had faded away hours before, it was as if sleep had all but erased Emma's acceptance of her condition. Will wrapped her in his arms and tried to soothe her, instructing her to match his movements as he inhaled and exhaled fully and steadily. She matched a few of his breaths until she choked on a rogue sob that hiccupped its way out of her throat and immediately threw up.

Emma cried so hard at this unpredictable turn of events that she threw up again.

They arrived thirty minutes after the first-period bell that morning, tiny sniffling sounds still being sucked back by a pouting Emma as they made their way quickly through the empty halls. Will could barely conceal his grin as he walked her to her office and waited while she sullenly unlocked its door and turned to him for her obligatory morning kiss. He held her longer that usual, his chest swelling with joy before he pressed an extra kiss to her forehead and sent her through the door of her office.

Will practically skipped to the choir room, digging through his bag to find the sheet music he planned on rearranging during his first-period prep. Luckily he didn't actually have a class until second period on Wednesdays and Fridays, allowing for the unexpected tardiness stemming from the morning's events. Will was over the moon. Part of him was almost afraid to be happy about the news -as if he wanted it too badly it would be snatched away from him like before- but he knew he needed to put up a strong front for Emma, because, even he could admit, this was all happening so _fast. _

…And he was mostly too elated to let the ghosts of his not-so-distant past haunt this wonderful new dream.

* * *

It had been a rough first week back to school, though the secret, wonderful news Will contained within buoyed him through it with ease. Emma, on the other hand, was doing less of the whole floating-effortlessly-through-the-day thing and, plain and simple: more ralphing. Will was keeping her extremely busy; whether this was a purposeful effort or not Emma couldn't decide, but he had sent three Glee students to her office for guidance counseling already, and they were only five days into the new year.

Her first meeting with one of Will's students was on the third day of school, the morning after Emma had taken the pregnancy tests. They had arrived late; Emma had woken up feeling queasy and what little control she maintained over the strong urge to puke her guts out was lost when her gaze landed upon the nearest of the positive tests, still laid out -to her horror- upon the bathroom countertop. She had cried, Will had consoled. She threw up twice more before they made it to the school, and her miserable morning full of schedule revisions was interrupted second period by Quinn, note in hand.

"Quinn, hello," Emma sat up a little straighter, willing herself to look put-together, and motioned for the young teenager to sit down.

"Mr. Schue sent me," Quinn explain docilely, passing the note to the guidance counselor. Emma unfolded the piece of paper and signed off on the hall pass to show that Quinn had been to see her before passing it back. Her computer chirped; she slid her mouse over the email icon, and found a new message in her inbox from Will's school account:

_Em, _

_Sending Quinn and Santana separately to talk about the incident during Glee on Monday… New Directions needs to be distraction-free this year! Hope you're feeling better! See you at lunch. _

_x, _

_Will_

Emma cleared her throat and turned away from the screen, primly folding her hands and turning to Quinn, who waited expectantly.

"Well, ah, I assume you know why you're here?" Emma queried rhetorically, adjusting her pencil holder before pulling her eyes up to gaze at the young teen.

"Santana and her jealous insecurities," Quinn sighed resignedly, casting her eyes toward the ceiling in a slight eye roll "…Though I don't see why Mr. Schuethinks that I need _my_ head shrunk because of it…No offense," she added, with a slight smile.

"Well, okay," Emma eased into her speech, absorbing Quinn's words, "First of all, I'm a guidance counselor, not a shrink," she corrected gently. "…And I think Mr. Schue just wants to make sure of how you're doing. You've been through a lot in the last year, Quinn."

"Santana's just jealous," Quinn provided loftily, "Coach Sylvester promised to reinstate me as Captain of the Cheerios provided I lose the baby weight, which I have-"

"And what about that?" Emma queried softly.

"What?" Quinn's tone held a defensive edge and Emma hesitated.

"The baby, Quinn...Beth."

Quinn sucked in her bottom lip and allowed her teeth to worry at it's edge. Emma watched her carefully from beneath the flip of her bangs.

"Quinn…"

"I don't regret it, you know," the blonde girl admitted softly, stirred out of her reverie as Emma spoke her name. "The lying…" Quinn's gaze was cast downward, and she continued: "Letting Terri call the shots…those things I regret. But Beth…"

Emma cupped her elbows in the palms of her hands and leaned forward, waiting patiently as the young woman in front of her searched for the right words. A long silence stretched between them before Quinn continued:

"I don't regret her," she insisted willfully, her voice stronger than before. "…And in a way, she sort of brought Mr. Schue to you."

It never failed to surprise Emma how uncannily accurate high school students could be; especially the Glee kids, and especially when it came to Will. She and Will had been seeing each other for months now; of course they were friends before and Emma had sat in on Glee practices and even accompanied them to competitions in the past. But while they didn't outright speak of it, it was common knowledge among Glee Club -at least- that Ms. Pillsbury and Mr. Schue were finally an item.

"It's okay," Quinn smiled knowingly, her tone gracious as she interpreted the look on Emma's face, "We all know about you and Mr. Schue…"

Emma blushed as her recent discovery and the knowledge of just how much the Glee students _didn't_ know about their teacher and their guidance counselor crossed her mind. She searched for an adequate reply that wouldn't give her away as Quinn surveyed her reaction from across the desk, but it seemed Quinn would fill the void for her:

"…You're good for him, Ms. Pillsbury."

* * *

Santana came next, allowing her backpack to slip off of her shoulder and onto the floor of Emma's office with a loud _thunk. _She straightened the pleats of her Cheerios uniform and settled into the chair, crossing her legs and tightening her ponytail before allowing her gaze to settle on Emma with an intimidating smirk.

"Let's do this."

Emma swallowed.

"Well, um, Santana…I-I'm sure you know why you're here-"

"Oh, I know why I'm here," Santana nodded, sticking out her jaw and raising an eyebrow, "I'm here because Quinn is delusional and Mr. _Schue_ can't handle all of _this_-" Santana motioned to herself, "Because I _will _throw down!"

"Well-ah-okay…" Emma acquiesced, clearing her throat and straightening the papers on her desk, "Let's talk about that…Your, er…need for physical confrontation-"

Santana surveyed her nails.

"Look, I get it," she sighed resignedly, raising her gaze to stare defiantly at Emma, "Mr. Schue is worried about his precious _Glee Club_-"

"I think Mr. Schue is worried about you and Quinn fighting during every meeting, yes," Emma conceded, "But I think the real problem here is that the both of you resorted to violence so quickly. Glee Club is supposed to be fun…" Emma continued, "And you've all always been so much like a family-"

"Quinn has a family-she's a _mother_," Santana sneered.

"That's not really fair, Santana."

"Sure, go ahead and side with _her_," Santana rolled her eyes, "Just like Mr. Schue."

"Santana-" a brief pause stretched between them as a feeling of nausea swept over Emma unexpectedly. "I really don't think that's the case here," Emma continued, struggling to keep the overpowering feeling at bay, "Will-Mr. Schue just wants you to get along and have fun-after all, isn't that the point of Glee Club?"

Emma's query hung in the air as Santana haughtily crossed her arms and looked away. Emma clamped her mouth shut and attempted to take a breath through her nose as a second, stronger wave of nausea consumed her. She lunged for the small trashcan beneath her desk and, gripping its edge, emptied the contents of her stomach into the bin.

There was a ringing silence in her office as she pulled away in horror, her mysophobia revving into overdrive as she knocked over her economy-sized bottle of Purell in her haste to pump its cold, clean relief into her hands.

Santana narrowed her eyes in disbelief.

"…_Gross_!"

Emma blushed and felt hot tears begin to well beneath her lashes.

"I…I-um-" she stuttered, her face hot as she avoided the teenager's look of disdain.

"This _isn't_ happening. Can I like, _go _now?" Santana inquired disdainfully.

Emma ducked her head.

"Yeah," she dismissed, wiping miserably at the edge of her mouth and already searching out her toothbrush kit, "Just…yeah."

* * *

Will had arrived late at Emma's condo after Glee practice Thursday night. Emma was in the tub; exhausted and unable to make herself leave the soothing confines of the bath water to start something for dinner. She heard Will come in and drop his bag on the couch; heard him kick off his shoes beside the door and heard his footsteps as he headed down the hall.

"Emma?" she heard him call her name and closed her eyes.

"In here, Will."

"Hey," Will pushed open the door to the bathroom and smiled down at her, "Sorry I'm late."

"How was Glee?" Emma smiled and rested her head against the hard edge of the tub, gazing up at Will.

"It was…" Will ran and hand across his face and took a seat on the edge of the tub, "...It was a disaster, Em."

Emma frowned and sat up with a slight wince. Her stomach muscles ached from the seemingly constant bouts of what she knew now was morning sickness.

"Whoa, hey-" Will leaned forward to offer her a hand, "You okay?"

"Fine-" Emma pulled her knees to her chest, allowing Will's fingers to intertwine with her own, "What happened in Glee?"

Will gave a frustrated sigh.

"Remember how Figgins' told me that Glee was getting a new member?" he asked, running a hand through his hair and continuing as Emma nodded, "He came to practice today. His name is Justin Evans. He hit Kurt."

"He _hit _Kurt?" Emma sat up a little straighter. "Will-"

"I know, I know-" Will sighed, pulling at his hair now.

"He _hit_ him?" Emma repeated incredulously.

"Shoved him," Will clarified. "Knocked him right to the ground. Of course Mercedes flipped-"

"I can imagine," Emma sympathized, "And Finn?"

"Finn too," Will conceded. "All the kids. I think Santana and Quinn actually agreed on something-"

"Wow."

"Yeah," Will murmured, bringing Emma's hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to her pale knuckles, "Thank you. For talking to the girls," he reiterated. "They seem to be doing better."

Emma blushed.

"Oh, I don't know how much good I did, really," she mumbled reasonably, "Your Glee kids have always been good at protecting their own-"

"Hey," Will leaned forward and cupped Emma's face in the palm of his hand with an encouraging smile, "You _helped_. Even if Rachel had to come find me because you threw up in you trashcan and she found you crying in the bathroom-" Will teased affectionately, laughing as Emma pouted and sent a splash of water lukewarm shooting up into his face.

"Come on," Will encouraged, offering her a hand, "Let's get you some dinner."

Emma took his hand and allowed Will to pull her from the tub; an unexpected thrill shooting through her as he laid a brief hand to the slick skin of her stomach and helped her over it's edge. Will pulled her to him and Emma smiled, welcoming the gentle pressure of his lips on hers.

"…But _why _did he hit Kurt?"

* * *

The third student that Will sent to Emma was during study hall Friday afternoon, although this one, Emma had prepared for.

His name was Justin Evans, he was seventeen and had moved from Cincinnati with his mother over the summer. She had requested a copy of his file from the front office: when he knocked on her door he didn't bother waiting for Emma to wave him in, and the first thing she observed was that he looked exactly like the copy of his resource mug shot from the regional Juvenile Detention Center in Midwest Ohio.

"Come in," Emma offered, unnecessarily, "You must be Justin."

"Yeah."

He didn't have a backpack, and he crossed his arms and slumped into Will's normal chair without waiting for Emma to ask him to sit. Emma bowed her head and took a deep breath.

"Um, well, I'm Ms. Pillsbury. Or Ms. P, if you'd like."

There was a long pause during which she waited for some kind of acknowledgment. It didn't come, and Emma cleared her throat.

"Right…Okay. Well…You moved here with you mother, from Cincinnati?"

"That's what my file says, right?"

Emma swallowed. Will had warned her this might be difficult.

"Do you, ah…Do you have any siblings?" she tried, paging through the copy of his students records.

"Yeah."

"A brother? Or sister…Older or younger?"

"A brother. Haven't seen him in awhile," Justin yawned pronouncedly.

"Ah, okay," Emma nodded, "Principle Figgins told me the ah, program you were working with in Cincinnati requires that you participate in a sport or club-"

"Hence Glee Club," Justin droned sarcastically, "And you can call it what it is, Emma…it's Juvey."

Emma watched as Justin's eyes scanned her nameplate on her desk and she hesitated, unsure if she should correct the usage of her first name. She looked down and closed Justin's file.

"Mr. Schuester told me you had an altercation with another student during Glee Club yesterday."

"The gay kid?" Justin raised an eyebrow, "Yeah."

Emma took a heated breath.

"Not a great way to start off in a new school," she accused pensively, "A new town..."

"Is that so?"

"I've read your file, Justin," Emma plowed forward, taken aback by his indifference, "This could be a new start for you-"

"So you've read my file," he mocked contemptuously, uncrossing his arms and leaning forward, "And you think that because Mr. Schuester sent me to see you that you can give me a lecture and send me on my way and that will just fix everything?"

"I-"

"The gay kid pissed me off."

"_Kurt-"_

"Whatever."

Emma took a deep breath and thought of going home to Will, of spending two whole days in the comfort of her apartment where she could vomit in peace and try and come to terms with the whole 'having a baby' thing. She decided to change tactics:

"Why Glee, Justin?" she asked. "McKinley has football, basketball…There's the AV Club, Drama…You must enjoy singing if you chose show choir."

Justin's head snapped up and Emma fought the urge to cast her eyes downward as she felt the weight of his gaze bore into her.

"I can sing, yeah," he agreed offhandedly.

Emma smiled.

"That's-that's great," she encouraged, "If you could just give it a chance I really think you'll enjoy being a part of Glee-"

"I said I could sing, yeah-" Justin interrupted contemptuously, "But I joined the stupid _Glee _Club because I heard Mr. Schuester is a pushover and that Glee has hot girls...Hot, _easy_ girls."

* * *

_AN: Thanks for reading, your feedback is really appreciated! Reviews = faster updates! :)_


	16. Chapter 16

Emma bowed her head and peeled back the lid of the plastic Tupperware containing her lunch. Her perfectly coifed bangs fell across her face and she used the opportunity to shoot a furtive glance at the perky blond that sat across from her at their lunch table and currently held all of Will's attention.

Her name was Holly Holiday.

She had been subbing for Mrs. Carlisle for a week. She was tall, beautiful, and filled with an enthusiam for teaching and learning that rivaled Will's own exuberance when it came to the students at McKinley. Her carefree persona and personal brand of style attracted the eye of every hot-blooded male in the hallways and quite a few jealous glares from the girls. She practiced unconventional methods like teaching with music and had been enthusiastically firing song and dance routine ideas at Will ever since she had learned they both shared a passion for show choir.

Blatantly put, she was driving Emma mad with jealousy.

It was October now…Emma was almost ten weeks pregnant and looked merely as though she had eaten a large lunch. News of her pregnancy had spread quickly, the few that did not know or were still unconvinced that the meek, mysophobic guidance counselor had actually, finally _consummated_ her love for Will Schuester were made believers when Will had proudly framed a copy of her sonogram and placed it carefully on his desk for any passerby to see.

Finding herself unexpectedly pregnant was one thing. Braving her first appointment was another. She had been understandably nervous; Will had been too, though he did his best to put on an encouraging, supportive front. It had nearly broken her heart when Emma had fumbled through a phone call to the Woman's Health Clinic to schedule an appointment and Will had asked her, the hope in his voice barely contained beneath his nonchalant tone, if he could come along.

Of course, she realized sadly, Terri wouldn't have wanted Will at a fake appointment for a fake baby. She thought back to what Will had told her about the one appointment he had forced Terri to allow him to attend at Dr. Wu's office and was glad she had the foresight to schedule her own with Dr. Chen.

"Of course I want you there," she had assured him, placing the cool palm of her hand against the invisible stubble of his cheek, "I need you there, Will."

* * *

Emma soon began to realize that tackling the initial shock of her surprise pregnancy was just one thing that she was going to have to overcome in the upcoming months. Each action stemming from the news was setting off a series of reactions, as proven by the rumors that seemed to crop up overnight within the halls of McKinley.

Though Will had not announced the news to Glee yet -or anyone, for that matter- Rachel had confronted him after practice two days before Emma's appointment and demanded to know if the rumors were true. Insisting that it was just gossip, and inappropriate gossip at that, Will had shied away from Rachel and her forthcoming speech about the fate of Glee Club and their upcoming performance at Sectionals.

He had arrived at Emma's office breathless and wide-eyed, and Emma had had to laugh at just how naïve Will was turning out to be when it came to the rumor mill at McKinley.

"I'm not surprised," Emma had shrugged, looking on amusedly as Will's mind was seemingly blown at just how in-tune the students at McKinley could be when they put their brains to it, "And I'm sure it's not just gossip to the Glee kids," she noted sensibly, "They care about you, Will."

"I get that, I do. I just figured," Will elaborated, "What with things happening so…unexpectedly…that a little time would be a good thing. To figure things out. I mean, first come the kids, and well, Figgins' will have to know eventually, and oh God, _Sue_…" Will began to pace, "Your parents, _my _parents-"

Emma let out a nervous chuckle.

"M-My parents?"

Will glanced her way as he turned on his heel and completed his second pass in front of her desk.

"Yes, your parents," he reiterated, "Of course, I should probably meet them first…" Will gave a small, oblivious chuckle," You know, before just springing something like this on them-"

Will continued to ramble as he paced, but Emma felt his voice growing very thin and far away as she stiffened, reality hitting as suddenly and harshly as a bucket of icy water to the face. Will's pacing slowed and his voice grew concerned -thick in her ears- as she stared hollowly forward, her mind reeling with this new, foolishly unconsidered revelation.

"Em? Emma?" Will reached across the desk and grasped her small hand in his own, "Emma!"

Emma jumped and jerked her gaze -wide and terrified- up to meet Will's own concerned one.

"What will I do?' she whispered, eyes crazed.

Will hesitated unsurely.

"What will I do!" she shrieked, prompting a startled Will to release her hand in alarm. "My _parents-_" Emma moaned, letting her head fall into her hands, "Oh God, Will…_Your _p-parents! Glee Club and Figgins' and _Sue_-" her voice shuddered into despaired silence, leaving a ringing silence in the small space of her office.

Will slowly lowered himself into the chair across from her desk and reached out a hesitant hand to take hers in his own again.

"Emma…" he began carefully, unsure of the best way to handle this new, unexpected insecurity, "We'll handle it, together…"

"No," Emma whipped her head back and forth, causing her red curls to bounce and fall back into place around her face, "You keep saying that, Will! It's…It's t-too much!"

Will was quiet for a moment.

"What's got you worried, Emma?" he queried finally, eager to drive away her insecurities, "Telling your parents? Telling Figgins? I can do that. You don't even have to be there if you don't want to be…As for your parents, we can call them-"

"No, Will," Emma shook her head, "I can't. I can't!"

"Why?" Will pushed, "They're your parents, Em. Don't you want them to know?"

"I can't, Will," Emma bowed her head, her voice a troubled whisper.

Will sat back, releasing his hold on her hand, as realization dawned on him.

"Emma…Haven't you told them about me?"

Emma bit her lip. A slow tear rolled down her cheek and she shook her head.

Will was silent and Emma struggled to make herself look up at him. She immediately wished she hadn't; hurt and betrayal clouded his handsome features, and she flushed, feeling horrible.

"Have you?" she pushed, searching for some kind of saving grace, "Told your parents…about me, I mean?"

"Of course I have Emma," Will answered, his tone accusatory, "And _I'm _the one whose marriage ended less than a year ago-" His words made her wince and Emma faltered. He wouldn't look at her; his eyes were glued to the floor and another tear leaked out from beneath Emma's lashes and rolled tellingly down her face.

"Will, I-of course they know about you…"

Will's head shot up and he frowned questioningly.

"But you just said-"

"They know Will: Spanish teacher and director of the Glee Club, my married best friend…" Emma clasped her hands together and gazed down at them, unable to look up at him.

Will ran hand through his curls and shook his head.

"They're your parents, Em…"

Emma sucked in a breath, wounded that Will was siding against her, though the reasonable side of her had known, deep down, how he would feel. Family was important to Will. Family to Emma was…a delicate matter.

"I…." Emma brushed aside a stray curl and bowed her head, "I haven't…I don't…I don't talk to my family very often, Will."

Will frowned and leaned forward, his interest piqued.

"That's okay Em," he insisted, ever eager, "I'm sure they'll just be happy to hear from you-"

"Will…"

Will paused and Emma hesitated, searching for the right words to explain away her irrationalities to an anticipant Will.

"Will I…" Emma looked down, wringing her hands, "I haven't talked to my family in a-awhile-"

"How long is awhile?"

"It's been… about ten months," Emma admitted quietly, "...Give or take."

Will was silent, and Emma rambled:

"You know, ever since t-the d-dairy farm incident…things have been…" Emma looked up and met Will's gaze, "We'll they've been strained," she admitted frankly, letting her eyes slide back to her desk again. "My childhood…wasn't normal Will. My relationship with my brother Kevin it…it's always been fragile…It -the incident- it wasn't his fault. We were young. We were both young," Emma continued, as though convincing herself, "I grew up, went to college nearby, lived at home for a few years after graduating. I tried living on my own, in Belle Haven, but…I needed more. My parents didn't want me to move away. They though it would be better for me to stay in Virginia, even live with them. We talked a few times a month for the first two years after I moved here to Lima," she explained, "Eventually the lines of communication fell away."

Will remained silent, and Emma bowed her head further, too ashamed to look up and bear witness to his reaction.

"I just…" she continued finally, "I don't know how I'm supposed to tell my parents that I'm going to be giving someone else a childhood," Emma's laid a hesitant hand against her still-flat abdomen, "…A _real, _happy childhood…when I failed so miserably at living my own."

A buzzing silence filled Emma's office as her last words faded away. Will didn't say anything, and Emma fiddled nervously with the hem of her skirt, afraid she'd said too much; revealed too much of her crazy. She heard Will push himself up from his chair and her head shot up; she expected to see him turning for the door, but instead, he was making his way around her desk.

She sucked in a startled breath as he took the arm of her desk chair and angled it towards him, then leaned down with an arm on either side of her so that they faced one another.

Will reached out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear, letting his hand fall away to cup her cheek. Leaning in close, he lowered his face to within an inch of her own and passionately claimed her lips in a kiss, leaving her dazed when he carefully pulled away. Emma realized she was holding her breath and released it on a shaky exhale.

"Emma Pillsbury," Will's voice was soft, and laden with conviction, "…You are going to make an _excellent_ mother."

* * *

_To be continued…_

_Thanks to everyone that takes the time to read and comment on my story. I truly appreciate it!_


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